How to Play Episodes from Liberty City on PC, Xbox, PS3

Short answer: on PC, buy GTA IV: The Complete Edition on Steam or the Rockstar Games Launcher ($19.99 / £16.99 / €19.99 / ₹999 on Steam, checked 29 October 2026) and launch the episodes from its menu. On Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S, play the Xbox 360 version through backward compatibility, using a disc if the digital add-on isn't for sale in your region. On PlayStation you need a PS3 and a disc; there's no PS4 or PS5 version.

New to the episodes? Read our Episodes from Liberty City guide first for the stories, history and which episode to start with. This page is only about getting it running on the hardware you own.

Pick your platform

How to play on PC

1. Open the Steam page for Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition (or the Rockstar Games Launcher) and buy it. On 29 October 2026 it was $19.99 in the US, £16.99 in the UK, €19.99 in the eurozone and ₹999 in India.

2. Install it. The Rockstar Games Launcher is required and will ask you to sign in with a free Rockstar Games account.

3. Start the game and choose an episode from the main menu: GTA IV, The Lost and Damned or The Ballad of Gay Tony.

4. If you owned the old Steam versions of GTA IV or EFLC, Rockstar's notice on the store page says existing saves are compatible with the Complete Edition. Back up your save folder before the first launch anyway.

Know what you're getting: Rockstar's Steam notice says the Complete Edition has no Games for Windows – Live, no multiplayer and no leaderboards, and that RamJam FM, Self-Actualization FM and Vice City FM are temporarily unavailable. Japanese subtitles work in GTA IV but not in the episodes. Check the minimum and recommended specifications on the Steam page before buying; they're modest by 2026 standards, and the game has no DirectX 12 or ray-tracing upgrade.

How to play on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One

1. Insert an Xbox 360 disc of Episodes from Liberty City or GTA IV: The Complete Edition. Xbox One and Series X consoles download the backward-compatible version automatically; disc-free Xbox Series S and Xbox One S All-Digital consoles can't read discs.

2. If you prefer digital, search the Xbox Store for Grand Theft Auto IV ($19.99 / £17.99 / €24.99 / ₹1,120 on 29 October 2026) and then look for the Episodes from Liberty City add-on on its page. When we checked, the add-on was listed but showed no purchase price in the US, UK, German or Indian store, so don't count on buying it digitally.

3. If you bought the episodes on Xbox 360 years ago, they stay tied to your Microsoft account: open My games & apps › Full library on your current console to find and download them.

How to play on PlayStation

Only a PS3 can run it. Buy a PS3 disc of Episodes from Liberty City (2010) or GTA IV: The Complete Edition. PS4 and PS5 consoles can't play PS3 discs, and the PlayStation Store doesn't sell a PS4 or PS5 version. If you only have a PS5, the PC Complete Edition is the cheapest way to play.

PC setup tips and troubleshooting

• Controller: the PC version supports Xbox-style controllers, and the on-screen prompts switch to controller buttons when you use one.

• Launcher sign-in: if the game won't start from Steam, open the Rockstar Games Launcher on its own, sign in, and then launch again. The launcher has to be running and signed in.

• Broken install: in Steam, right-click the game › Properties › Installed Files › Verify integrity of game files. This re-downloads missing or damaged files without touching your saves.

• Old mods: mods made for the pre-2020 versions may not work with the Complete Edition. Remove them before reporting a crash to Rockstar Support.

• Achievements: the Complete Edition uses Steam achievements, including ones for both episodes, in place of the old Games for Windows – Live achievements.

What to play first once it's running

The Complete Edition puts all three stories in one menu. If you have never played any of them, the usual order is GTA IV first, then The Lost and Damned, then The Ballad of Gay Tony, which is the order they came out. Because all three happen at the same time, you'll recognise characters and scenes as you go. If you've already finished GTA IV, jump straight into either episode; they don't share saves or progress with Niko's story.

Buying a used disc safely

• Check that the case says Episodes from Liberty City or The Complete Edition. A plain GTA IV disc does not include the episodes.

• Match the console: Xbox 360 discs for Xbox, PS3 discs for PlayStation.

• Check the region printed on the box and ask to see the disc running if you're buying in person.

• Stick to the official stores above for digital copies. Grey-market keys and unofficial downloads aren't authorised by Rockstar and may be revoked.

India: what to buy

For most players in India, Steam is the clear choice. The Complete Edition costs ₹999 on Steam India and includes GTA IV and both episodes, and it runs on most modern laptops. On Xbox, the base GTA IV is ₹1,120 on the Indian Xbox Store, but the episodes add-on had no Indian price on 29 October 2026 (unconfirmed). PlayStation owners need a PS3 and a used disc from the local second-hand market.

After setup: cheats and next steps

Once you're in, our Episodes from Liberty City cheats page lists the phone-number cheats for both episodes. Cheats can block achievements and trophies during a session, so save first. For the story background, go back to the Episodes from Liberty City guide or the game page.

Related NextPlayIntel pages

• Episodes from Liberty City game page

• Episodes from Liberty City guide

• Episodes from Liberty City cheats

• Grand Theft Auto IV

Image credits: cover and screenshots © Rockstar Games via the Steam store.