GTA: Vice City Made Playable In GTA 3 In GTA: San Andreas - Kotaku

What the report says

Kotaku reported that Grand Theft Auto modder Dryxio has demonstrated a layered technical trick: running older GTA games as playable real-time textures inside another entry in the series. In an article by Zack Kotzer published July 19, 2026, the site said Dryxio first posted video of Grand Theft Auto III operating on an in-game television within Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, with the footage showing more than a brief visual joke.

According to Kotaku, the setup appeared capable of running the full game, including mission progress and save functionality. The same demonstration also showed Vice City being launched on the in-game screen. Kotaku said that within 48 hours, Dryxio expanded the idea further, showing Vice City playable on a large billboard-like display within GTA III, itself nested through San Andreas, with the games layered through real-time rendering.

The development matters mainly as a modding and technical showcase rather than an official Rockstar release. It highlights the continued experimentation around Rockstar’s early-2000s open-world trilogy — GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas — games that were once notable for making dense 3D city environments work on home consoles and handheld hardware.

Kotaku framed the mod against renewed attention on the franchise ahead of Grand Theft Auto VI, which the article said was expected in November. More broadly, the demonstration underscores how long-running PC mod communities continue to repurpose older games in unexpected ways, turning familiar titles into platforms for technical stunts as much as playable experiences.