Grand Theft Auto 5 has received an unofficial port to the Nintendo Switch, with a dedicated group of modders making the beloved open-world game playable on the Nintendo console. The impressive Grand Theft Auto 5 port has managed to run the game natively on Switch hardware.
The fifth numbered entry in the massively popular open-world franchise was a landmark title for Rockstar Games in 2013. Grand Theft Auto 5 quickly broke multiple sales records within the gaming industry, and sits in the top three best-selling games of all time, only behind Tetris and Minecraft. GTA 5 was universally praised by fans and critics on release and is widely considered to be one of the best games of all time, being brought to each subsequent Sony and Microsoft generation since the PS3. Now, a brand-new unofficial port has the game running on Nintendo hardware for the first time.
Modders Get GTA 5 Running on Nintendo Switch
A fan-made port of Grand Theft Auto 5 has gotten the game to run on the Nintendo Switch. The port brings the full open-world action-adventure game to the Switch, though several concessions were made to accommodate Nintendo Switch hardware. The unofficial Switch version only runs between 10–25 FPS at the console’s normal clock speeds, with overclocking only managing to bring the Switch GTA game up to 30 FPS in some areas. The port was confirmed to be running natively on the Switch, without using methods such as streaming or emulation.
While the Grand Theft Auto 5 port is certainly impressive, the details about the game make the Switch version sound far from ideal. The low FPS numbers would make more graphically-intensive or action-heavy portions of the game incredibly difficult to play, with the ability to reducing players’ ability to react quickly in gunfights. The limited performance of the GTA port would also likely put a heavy strain on the battery life of the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode, draining the battery quickly and reducing the potential for lengthy play sessions.
Though GTA 5 has never officially been released on the Nintendo Switch, the console has received a compilation of some of the franchise’s more popular games. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition launched on the Switch in November 2021, bringing GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas to the Nintendo console. GTA: The Trilogy is currently the only game in the franchise to receive an official release from Rockstar on the Switch. Leaks had previously suggested GTA 6 could be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, but Rockstar did not announce a Switch 2 version when pre-orders opened in June 2026.
The Grand Theft Auto franchise is on the cusp of a new era with the next major game on the horizon. GTA 6 is scheduled to finally release on November 19 after years of rumors and delays for the hotly anticipated open-world game. The next numbered GTA game has already won the “Most Anticipated Game” award twice at The Game Awards and is reportedly on track to see record-breaking sales numbers for the gaming industry. Rockstar is primed to turn the gaming world on its head once again when GTA 6 hits store shelves in November.
- Released
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September 17, 2013
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
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Rockstar North
