Buy Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition if you want the complete Liberty City single-player experience on a modern PC or want all three connected campaigns in one purchase. It combines Grand Theft Auto IV with The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony. The current PC digital product is Complete Edition, while an original or Complete Edition disc is mainly useful for PS3/Xbox 360 owners and collectors. The important trade-off is that the 2020 PC transition removed Games for Windows Live, multiplayer and leaderboards, so Complete Edition is not a restoration of every feature available around the original release.
What Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition contains
The Complete Edition is a bundle of three stories set in Liberty City. The main game follows Niko Bellic. The Lost and Damned shifts to Johnny Klebitz, and The Ballad of Gay Tony follows Luis Lopez. Their narratives overlap in the same setting, but each expansion is a standalone campaign rather than a small add-on to Niko’s story.
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Rockstar’s 2010 retail announcement described the package as Grand Theft Auto IV plus both Episodes from Liberty City. Steam’s current product description uses the same structure: the product includes the base game and both episodes. That makes the bundle the straightforward choice for anyone who wants the trilogy of Liberty City perspectives instead of only the original Niko campaign.
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#1 Best Overall
- Includes: Grand Theft Auto IV and episodes: The Lost and the Damned & The Ballad of Gay Tony
How the original release differs by platform
Original console release
The 2010 Complete Edition was sold as a physical retail product for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A used console copy is therefore a legacy product: it is relevant when you still play on the original hardware, want a boxed collection, or collect Rockstar releases. Check the disc condition, case contents and regional compatibility before buying because these are used-market considerations rather than a new digital entitlement.
Separate PC products
On PC, the original digital arrangement separated Grand Theft Auto IV from Episodes from Liberty City. That arrangement no longer represents the current Steam listing. Valve’s transition notice says that, beginning March 19, 2020, Complete Edition replaced the separate GTA IV and Episodes from Liberty City digital products. Existing save files remain compatible, so the change is an account and installation transition rather than a requirement to abandon an established campaign.
What “original” should mean when you shop
When a seller says “original release,” identify the platform and format. A PS3 or Xbox 360 disc is a physical console edition. An older PC listing may refer to the pre-2020 separate products or an old boxed activation route. Those versions should not be treated as interchangeable with the current Steam product: their feature availability, activation process and included content can differ.
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Complete Edition versus the original: feature comparison
| Purchase or situation | Campaign content | Current status and trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Complete Edition on current PC digital storefronts | GTA IV, The Lost and Damned, and The Ballad of Gay Tony | Current digital product; the 2020 transition removed Games for Windows Live, multiplayer and leaderboards |
| Separate pre-2020 PC GTA IV product | GTA IV campaign as sold in the original digital arrangement | Replaced by Complete Edition; Steam says existing saves remain compatible |
| Separate pre-2020 Episodes from Liberty City product | The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony | Replaced by Complete Edition; owners receive the Episodes content through the transition |
| 2010 physical Complete Edition for PS3 or Xbox 360 | All three campaigns on one console retail package | Legacy disc product for original-console play or collecting |
What changed on PC in 2020
The March 19, 2020 transition is the central difference between buying Complete Edition today and remembering the original PC release. Steam’s official notice identifies three services that are no longer available: Games for Windows Live, multiplayer mode and leaderboards. It also says that RamJam FM, Self-Actualization FM and Vice City FM were temporarily unavailable at that time.
Do not interpret the transition as a performance upgrade. No authoritative comparison establishes that Complete Edition runs materially faster or more smoothly than the original PC release. Frame rate, loading behavior and stability remain dependent on the individual computer and its configuration. The evidence supports a content and platform change, not a guaranteed technical improvement.
This distinction matters for two different buyers. A first-time player is choosing the current supported digital package for the campaigns. A returning PC player who remembers multiplayer or leaderboard features is deciding whether those legacy services matter more than the convenience of the current product. Complete Edition supplies the modern purchase path, but it does not bring those discontinued services back.
Rank #2
- Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition (PS3)
- This is the definitive GTA 4 experience - The highest rated game of all time is back with Grand Theft Auto IV & Episodes From Liberty City: The Complete Edition from Rockstar Games for Sony PS3.
- The only offering that provides the full Grand Theft Auto 4 experience!
- In The Lost and Damned, experience Liberty City as Johnny, a veteran member of The Lost, a notorious biker gang.
- The Ballad of Gay Tony injects Liberty City with an overdose of guns, glitz, and grime. As Luis Lopez, part-time hoodlum and full-time assistant to legendary nightclub impresario Tony Prince a.k.a. Gay Tony.
Which version should you buy?
| Your situation | Recommended choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| First-time PC buyer who wants every story | Complete Edition | It is the current digital listing and contains all three campaigns |
| Existing PC owner who has only GTA IV | Update to Complete Edition if you want the episodes | Steam says saves remain compatible and the transition provides Episodes from Liberty City content |
| Buyer whose priority is legacy PC multiplayer or leaderboards | Investigate any legacy setup very carefully before spending money | The official transition notice says those services were removed |
| PS3 or Xbox 360 player | Physical Complete Edition, after checking the disc and region | The bundle was released as a console retail product for those systems |
| Collector seeking an original boxed release | Physical 2010 Complete Edition | The value is the legacy packaging and console ownership rather than a modern PC feature set |
Is Complete Edition worth buying over GTA IV alone?
Choose Complete Edition for the complete single-player package
If your goal is to experience Liberty City through all three protagonists, the bundle is the efficient purchase. Buying only the original game leaves out Johnny’s and Luis’s campaigns. The episodes are connected to the same world but provide different viewpoints, so the additional content changes the scope of the experience rather than simply adding optional missions to Niko’s campaign.
Choose an original copy only for a specific legacy reason
An original copy makes sense when you need a PS3/Xbox 360 disc, want a physical collectible, or are deliberately researching the pre-2020 PC arrangement. It is not the safer default for a new PC buyer because the current digital catalog has consolidated the products into Complete Edition and the old PC services were not preserved.
Do not pay extra for an unsupported performance promise
The available official information does not establish a universal frame-rate or compatibility advantage for Complete Edition. A seller’s claim that one edition is automatically faster should therefore be treated as unverified unless it is tied to your own hardware and configuration. The defensible reason to buy Complete Edition is its contents and current availability, not an invented benchmark.
PC requirements, activation and current price
Rockstar’s store lists the following minimum requirements for the Windows version:
| Requirement | Minimum listed specification |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 |
| Memory | 2 GB RAM |
| Graphics | 256 MB Nvidia 7900 or ATI X1900-class GPU |
| Free storage | 22 GB |
| First activation | Internet access and a Rockstar Games Social Club account |
The store displayed €19.99 when checked on October 18, 2026. That is a region-specific snapshot, not a permanent worldwide price; storefront currency, taxes and later sales can change the amount. The original 2010 suggested retail prices were $39.99 in North America, £34.99 in the United Kingdom and €49.99 in Europe. Those launch figures describe the historical retail position and should not be used as today’s checkout price.
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How an existing PC owner should move to Complete Edition
- Identify the copy you own. Determine whether your account contains GTA IV, Episodes from Liberty City, or both under the older product arrangement.
- Use the current Steam listing. Steam’s transition notice says the separate digital products were replaced by Complete Edition from March 19, 2020.
- Install or update the Complete Edition package. Rockstar Support says Steam owners install or update to Complete Edition. A GTA IV owner downloads approximately 6 GB of Episodes from Liberty City content.
- Keep your existing save files. Steam states that existing saves remain compatible. Preserve a backup before changing installations if the campaign progress is important to you.
- Plan for the feature change. Expect the current PC package without Games for Windows Live, multiplayer and leaderboards, because those services were removed in the transition.
The approximately 6 GB figure applies to the Episodes content downloaded by a GTA IV owner according to Rockstar Support; the store’s separate 22 GB figure is the listed free-space requirement for the installation. Treat both as published requirements for their respective contexts, not as a guarantee that every installation will occupy exactly the same amount of disk space.
Can you still play GTA IV multiplayer?
The official Steam transition notice says multiplayer mode and leaderboards are no longer available in the current PC arrangement. Therefore, do not buy Complete Edition expecting the online functionality associated with the original PC release. The same notice also records the removal of Games for Windows Live, which was part of the older service stack.
A PS3 or Xbox 360 disc preserves the original console software, but the existence of a physical disc does not by itself guarantee that every online service is currently operating. If multiplayer is your deciding factor, verify the platform’s present service status and the requirements for any legacy setup before purchasing. The evidence here supports a clear warning about the current PC product, not a promise of restored console online play.
What about radio stations and other removed content?
Steam’s notice specifically says that RamJam FM, Self-Actualization FM and Vice City FM were temporarily unavailable during the transition. “Temporarily unavailable” describes the status reported in that notice; it does not establish a permanent content-removal policy for every later update. Do not assume that a remembered radio lineup, service or leaderboard behaves exactly as it did in the original PC release.
For a buyer comparing campaigns, the confirmed package contents are more important than treating the modern edition as a byte-for-byte restoration. Complete Edition delivers the three named stories, while the historical PC service environment changed.
Physical disc or digital purchase?
Reasons to choose the physical console bundle
- You play on an original PS3 or Xbox 360.
- You want a boxed 2010 release for a collection.
- You have checked the disc condition and regional compatibility.
Reasons to choose the current PC listing
- You want all three campaigns without hunting for two discontinued digital products.
- You prefer an account-based installation and update path.
- You accept the loss of Games for Windows Live, multiplayer and leaderboards.
A disc is not automatically a better technical version, and a digital copy is not automatically a complete restoration of legacy features. The right format follows your platform and priorities.
Rank #4
- The original Grand Theft Auto IV 4 game
- The Lost and Damned
- The Balled of Gay Tony
Common buying mistakes
Confusing GTA IV with the complete trilogy
The base game and the two episodes are distinct campaigns. Check the product description for all three names before checkout rather than assuming that every listing titled “GTA IV” includes the episodes.
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Assuming an old key restores discontinued services
An older PC code or disc does not change the services listed as removed in the 2020 transition. Do not pay a premium solely because a seller promises original multiplayer or leaderboards without verifiable platform support.
Ignoring activation and storage
The Windows listing requires first activation through the internet and a Rockstar Games Social Club account, and it lists 22 GB of free disk space. Confirm both before purchase, especially on a tightly managed or offline PC.
Reading the €19.99 snapshot as a permanent price
The €19.99 amount was displayed in the store on October 18, 2026 for a particular region. It can change with currency, taxes or promotions, so check the checkout total in your own storefront.
Final buying decision
For nearly every new PC buyer, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition is the correct purchase because it is the current digital product and contains Niko Bellic’s original campaign alongside Johnny Klebitz’s and Luis Lopez’s episodes. Existing PC owners can move to it with compatible saves, while a GTA IV owner receives approximately 6 GB of Episodes content according to Rockstar Support.
Buy the old physical Complete Edition only when your goal is PS3/Xbox 360 play or collecting. Choose an original PC setup only after confirming that its legacy features are genuinely essential and available to you. The decisive limitation is the 2020 PC service change: Games for Windows Live, multiplayer and leaderboards are not part of the current arrangement, and no official evidence establishes a blanket performance advantage for the newer package.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
