The Definitive Edition rebuilt San Andreas with modern visuals and GTA V-style controls, but it also cut songs and interiors and launched rough. Here is exactly what changed, the good and the bad, so you can pick the version that fits you.
San Andreas was the biggest GTA map of its era: a whole state with three cities, desert, forest and farmland between them. Here is how the map is laid out, what each region is for, and how it unlocks.
Every gun in San Andreas levels up as you use it, and hitting Hitman level unlocks dual-wielding on four weapons plus run-and-gun aiming. Here is how the system works and how to grind it.
PS5 & Xbox Series X|S launch — PC delayed beyond. Stay current with our daily intel.
Trailers, official news, deep guides — only when it matters.
San Andreas does not hand you cash, but a few reliable methods keep CJ funded for property, mods and gambling. Here are the best ways to make money, from asset properties to the casino heist payoff.
There are two ways to play San Andreas today: the 2004 original (and its later PC and mobile ports) or the Definitive Edition, released in November 2021 as part of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy. The remaster rebuilt the game on Unreal Engine with modern visuals and controls, but it made trade-offs. Here is the honest breakdown.
If you want the best-looking, smoothest-controlling version and you do not mind the missing songs, the Definitive Edition is the easiest recommendation today, especially after its patches. If the original soundtrack and the full set of hidden interiors matter to you, or you want the exact game you remember, the original (on PC) is still the purist's pick. Both tell the same story with the same missions; the difference is presentation and music, not content.
