How to play GTA 5 on mobile in 2023: A complete setup guide

It may come across as a shock to some mobile gamers, but playing GTA 5 on mobile devices is possible. However, the legal way to do so is via Steam Link. That means players must own the game on Steam to use the following guide.

To enable this feature, it is imperative to have a legitimate version of GTA 5 on Steam, which should be installed on your computer with smooth gameplay and supported by a dependable internet connection. You must have the Steam Link application installed on your mobile device.

The game runs on your computer, so your phone or tablet's hardware isn't too essential for playing GTA 5.

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How to play GTA 5 on mobile devices via Steam Link

You need to install it if you haven't done so already (Image via Rockstar Games, Steam)

GTA 5 requires over 108 GB on PC. Thankfully, your mobile device won't need that much storage space to run it. The only thing your Android or iOS system technically needs is Steam Link and reliable Internet.

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Step 1)

Install GTA 5 on Steam. If you don't own this game, then you can buy it. The Premium Edition can cost less than $30 and is regularly on sale.

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Step 2)

You will need Steam Link from the Play Store or App Store (Image via Google)

Download Steam Link on your Android or iOS device. As long as there is ample storage space, that's good enough. Now run the app.

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Step 3)

Everybody will be given a different PIN (Image via Steam Link)

Get a PIN from Steam Link. Every number will be unique; it can change if you close and reopen the app. The directions of what to do next are even written on this screen.

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Step 4)

You have to do this on Steam (Image via Steam)

Here is a quick rundown of this step:

1. Go to Steam.
2. Select Settings.
3. Select Remote Play.
4. Click on "Enable Remote Play."
5. Click on "Pair Steam Link."

Paste the code from the third step.

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Step 5)

You should see something similar to this (Image via Steam Link)

Select your computer and return to the home page where a "Start Playing" button should be. Click on that to enter Steam's Big Picture Mode.

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Step 6)

Look for Grand Theft Auto V and select it (Image via Steam)

Search for GTA 5 and click on it to start playing it. From then on, you should see everything on your Android or iOS device. The following video shows off some gameplay that might interest readers.

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Mobile gamers can use touchscreen controls or configure a controller to play the game more optimally. Regardless of the method chosen, the quality of the game will depend entirely on the Internet speed and the strength of its connection. Players with lousy Internet will have issues running the game, whereas those with a good network can run it smoothly.

Thanks to Remote Play, your mobile device's hardware isn't too essential. Steam describes the process of Remote Play as follows:

"Steam Remote Play works by connecting you to a game on one computer when the game process is actually running on another computer elsewhere. Through Steam, game audio and video is captured on the remote computer and sent to the device. The game input (keyboard, mouse or gamepad) is sent from the device you are using to the game process on the remote computer."

Ergo, you can run a big game like GTA 5 on a mobile device that wouldn't usually be able to download the title.