GTA 3 in Browser

Updated Oct 13, 2026 · 1 more we checked and added

GTA III, the 2001 game that took Grand Theft Auto into 3D, now runs in a browser tab. The build lives on WASM Arcade and uses re3, a community reconstruction of the game's code compiled to WebAssembly.

Unlike the Vice City port, this one does not ask for your own game files. Press play, wait for about 130 MB to stream in, and you are on the streets of Portland.

How GTA 3 in browser works

GTA 3 in browser runs on re3, a community reconstruction of the game's code. Volunteers rebuilt the program so it can be compiled for new platforms, and someone compiled it to WebAssembly so it runs inside a tab. The build is hosted on WASM Arcade.

When you press Play, the page streams about 130 MB before the main menu appears. The page says game data and saves live in your browser storage (OPFS) and offers a save backup; clearing site data removes them.

About GTA III (2001)

Grand Theft Auto III was developed by DMA Design, later Rockstar North, and published by Rockstar Games in 2001. It was the moment the series moved from a top-down view to full 3D, and it set the template for the open-world crime games that followed.

The game is set in Liberty City, split across three islands: Portland, Staunton Island and Shoreside Vale. You play Claude, a silent protagonist left for dead after a bank robbery, who works his way through the city's gangs. New islands open as the story progresses.

GTA 3 in browser vs the Vice City port

Both ports come from the same family of community reconstructions, but they differ in one important way. This GTA III build needs no files from you; it streams everything it needs. The Vice City port asks you to load data from your own copy of the game first.

If you own Vice City and want to try it, our GTA Vice City in browser guide walks through the files and setup.

Controls, cheats and phones

On a desktop you can play with keyboard and mouse or a gamepad. On a phone the port showed a full set of touch controls in our test, covering walking, driving, shooting, jumping and changing the radio station, and it asked us to rotate to landscape.

As on PC, GTA III cheats are typed on the keyboard during play. We did not test every code in this port, but the best-known ones are:

GUNSGUNSGUNS gives you all weapons.
GESUNDHEIT restores your health.
NOPOLICEPLEASE clears your wanted level.

Cheats need a physical keyboard, so they are a desktop-only trick. Save in a separate slot before you experiment.

Is it safe and legal?

This is an unofficial port, not a Rockstar release, and fan ports of commercial games can be taken down at any time. Enjoy it while it is up, and do not be surprised if it disappears.

WASM Arcade shows ads. In our test, pressing Play also tried to open an ad tab. Close pop-ups rather than clicking through them, and never install anything a pop-up offers; the game itself needs no download outside the tab. Our browser games safety guide covers the warning signs in more detail.

More GTA in a browser

GTA III is the easiest GTA to start in a browser right now. For an overview of every GTA port we track, see GTA browser games. If you are curious about the much heavier experimental port of the newest game, read GTA 5 in browser first so you know what to expect.

Tips before you play

The first load streams about 130 MB. Use a stable connection and keep the tab in focus.
WASM Arcade shows ads, and pressing Play tried to open an ad tab in our test. Close pop-ups instead of clicking through them, and never install anything they offer.
Cheat codes are typed straight on the keyboard during play, as on PC.
On a phone, rotate to landscape: the port shows touch controls for walking, driving and shooting.