PlayStation and Xbox bumped to mid-December, while the Switch physical edition falls to 2022
The physical release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition won’t be happening in early December as expected, which, given the sloppy state of the game, is probably for the best. As it now stands, Rockstar has decided to push back the game’s physical release to December 17 on PS4 and Xbox One / Xbox Series X, while the Nintendo Switch version has fallen back even further — it’s now slated for “early 2022.”
Rockstar’s tweet about the delay didn’t cite any specific reasoning, but there’s plenty to speculate about, and the publisher did suggest to “check your local retailer for availability.”
With updates coming in as recently as this morning to target issues with eye-melting rain effects, wonky signs, and general stability, it’s clear that there’s so much more work to be done to deliver a reasonable modern version of these games, much less a “definitive” one.
That said, I have to wonder if the physical edition delay for GTA Trilogy is less about last-minute improvements and much more to do with stripping out some not-exactly-hidden files — including music — that really shouldn’t have been left in there in the first place.
As fans were quick to spot on the Nintendo Switch box (as seen here on Amazon), Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition has a “download required” disclaimer, so it’s already an uphill battle even without getting into the bugs and other missteps.
Much like the already available digital versions, the physical copies on PS4 and Xbox One / Xbox Series X will cost $59.99. With many more updates, and a tumble into the bargain bin, it might become palatable. I feel for anyone who was really hoping to get back into GTA III, Vice City, or San Andreas, as this should’ve been a great compilation. Instead, it was a momentous launch for all the wrong reasons. Those tweets were hilarious, though.