A first-person mode uncovered in the code for the GTA: The Trilogy says Rockstar Games wanted to add VR functionality to its recent remasters.
Thanks to the help of enthusiasts digging through the freshly published Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition code, new reports imply the presence of an unfinished VR feature. The remasters’ code is riddled with features that were not intended for distribution – such as unlicensed music, mission scripts, developer notes and more – which led to Rockstar temporarily pulling the GTA trilogy PC version from its Rockstar Launcher.
Since the multi-platform release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy, the videogame has garnered controversy from fans regarding significant frame drops, glitches, and its hidden files seemingly recklessly left in the game’s code. Players quickly discovered the GTA trilogy remaster’s post-launch files included the infamous San Andreas Hot Coffee mini-game, which – when originally launched in 2004 – generated national attention and anger owing to its explicit sexual nature. It is a mystery why developers left these components in the game’s code upon release. That aside, the secret files seem to excite a decent bit of curiosity, and some players are unearthing even more important components dispersed throughout the game’s code.
Rockstar Games news resource, Ben Turpin, presented the GTA trilogy remaster’s first-person mode, stating the game contains a debug Unreal Engine command for VR. The mode in action seems similar to Graft Theft Auto V’s first-person mode introduced to the game in an update in 2014. If the title of the debug mode command is, in fact, “GTA VR,” then it is likely the mode was initially established with the goal of adding VR compatibility to the remasters. However, development clearly shelved the feature for unknown reasons – especially considering Turpin’s observations that the mode “seems a little bit unfinished.” Despite the GTA trilogy remaster team leaving out VR compatibility, VR adaptation of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is now in development for the Oculus Rift 2.
As Turpin highlighted in the tweet, VR in the GTA trilogy remaster might be a lot of fun with a few modifications to the game’s fighting mechanics. Rockstar Games handled problems with the flawed release of the game by promising several fixes and an offer of free versions of the classic GTA Trilogy titles as an olive branch with their large following. At the time of writing, there is seemingly no discussion of introducing a VR feature to Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy.
With the release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, gamers are noticing flaws, probable indications for Grand Theft Auto VI, and incomplete elements like the mini-games and unauthorized music. Rockstar Games may someday add some of these secret elements to the games, especially because upcoming upgrades are intended to help the remasters fulfill its standards in quality.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC via the Rockstar Games Launcher, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S; Android and iOS ports are expected for release in 2022.