The big ol' list of Xbox One backwards compatible games will soon include Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and, well, I probably don't have to explain why that's exciting. Two other Rockstar games of yesteryear joined the selection in the same stroke on Thursday, June 7; enjoy the gobsmackingly intricate recreation of plastic ball physics that is Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (yes that is the full title) or enjoy some high-speed, late-night racing in Midnight Club: Los Angeles. Hold on a minute though, which version of San Andreas will be backwards compatible? Though the game originally came out in 2004 as a PlayStation 2 exclusive, it did eventually make its way to the original Xbox as well as Xbox 360. The Xbox One backwards compatible version is built from the 360 re-release, so ownership and cloud saves will transfer over. But good news if you still have your original Xbox disc for San Andreas! Pop that in and you'll get access to the same Xbox One backwards compatible game (featuring achievements, better draw distances, and sharper textures) as 360 owners at no extra charge. If you haven't played GTA: San Andreas and are more familiar with the "HD universe" games - GTA 4 and GTA 5 - you should give it a try. It remains the most over-the-top game Rockstar has ever created, featuring no less than three big cities to explore and tons of Californian-ish countryside stretching between them, a semi-hidden co-op mode that plays like an old top-down arcade game, and a jetpack hidden deep inside a secret military base. Much of it is crude by today's standards (especially the humor, though Rockstar hasn't changed too much in that regard) but it's worth experiencing if you have any love for open-world games in your heart. Neither Grand Theft Auto 3 nor Grand Theft Auto: Vice City are playable on Xbox One at the moment, and neither ever made it to Xbox 360 either. That doesn't mean they're out of the question for backwards compatibility, just that it would probably require some extra work.<doc-sep>LEGENDARY crime game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is making its way to the Xbox One. Game-maker Rockstar made the surprise announcement on Twitter, sending GTA fans into a frenzy. 3 GTA San Andreas is one of the most iconic video games of all time In a tweet, Rockstar wrote: "GTA San Andreas, Midnight Club LA and Table Tennis coming to Xbox One Backward Compatibility next week." It means you'll be able to play the 2005 Xbox version of San Andreas on your new Xbox One, Xbox One S, or Xbox One X. Microsoft has offered backwards compatibility for loads of games for a few years now, but this is the first time San Andreas will have been supported, And if you've got game saves from the Xbox 360 version of San Andreas, you'll be able to transfer those over onto the Xbox One. GTA San Andreas, Midnight Club LA and Table Tennis coming to @Xbox One Backward Compatibility next week: https://t.co/Np5mu7mTTE pic.twitter.com/t7DbA27jUY — Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) May 31, 2018 Sadly, original Xbox game saves won't be transferred. But both Xbox and Xbox 360 versions will enjoy upgraded graphics, including a high-resolution picture and enhanced draw distances (i.e. how far you can see in the game). So how does backwards compatibility on Xbox actually work? All you need is an original copy of the game from a previous generation console. 3 San Andreas is set in a fictionalised version of Los Angeles 3 The classic Xbox game was praised for its huge and convincing open world, compelling characters and fun gameplay Then, stick your San Andreas disc in the Xbox One and it'll kickstart the backwards compatibility mode. This boots up a piece of software called an emulator, which basically simulates an Xbox 360. It means you can play the old-style games on your Xbox One with no bother. You can also purchase classic games from the Xbox Marketplace, which is perfect for people who want to play old titles but don't have the physical discs. MOST READ IN TECH BOUNCE BACK Dogecoin founder thanks Elon Musk for tweet as crypto market stages comeback Live Blog LOOK UP Lunar eclipse 2021 LIVE: Blood Moon and total eclipse happening NOW PHENOMENON Lunar eclipse 2021: Why the Super Blood Moon isn't visible in the UK LOST & FOUND New Google Maps feature means you'll NEVER get lost again OPEN WINDOW Microsoft boss reveals NEW 'next-gen' Windows coming six years after Windows 10 BLOOMING Super Flower Moon will fill skies tonight – how to see stunning lunar spectacle GTA San Andreas landed on PS2 in October 2004, followed by a June 2005 release for Microsoft's original Xbox. The game was then remastered in high definition for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2015. Gamers play as Carl Johnson in a fictionalised re-imagining of Los Angeles. CJ returns home from his life in Los Santos following his mum's murder to find his family falling apart. This takes him on a journey to control the streets of San Andreas through a life of crime – with carjackings and gunfights aplenty. San Andreas is generally considered to be one of the greatest video games ever made, and is a fan favourite among GTA players. What's your favourite GTA game? Are you looking forward to GTA 6? And which retro game would you like to see land on current-gen consoles? Let us know in the comments! We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.<doc-sep>Rockstar Games created a worldwide phenomenon when they introduced Grand Theft Auto to the gaming community. One of the most popular titles in the GTA series, San Andreas, featured the first Black main character in the franchise and also brought the gorgeous Los Angeles landscape into the mix. That was back in 2004, but now, Rockstar has announced that they will be bringing San Andreas to Xbox One via its backwards compatibility function. According to Rockstar, the game developer will be bringing three of their classic games back. GTA: San Andreas, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, and Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis. For San Andreas gamers can play the original Xbox version or the better looking Xbox 360 edition. 2008's Midnight Club: Los Angeles will also have both the original and Complete Edition available for play on the Xbox One. The Complete Edition features an additional location among other add-ons. Rockstar's website writes that, "On Thursday, digital game owners will have instant access to the games on Xbox One, so they can download them from the “Ready to Install” section of their Xbox One and play at will. Physical game owners can just pop the Xbox 360 game disc (or Xbox game disc as well for San Andreas) into their Xbox One and download the game."<doc-sep>
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (GTA San Andreas) is finally making its way to the Xbox One and Xbox One X via Microsoft's Xbox One backwards compatibility program. And it's not just Rockstar's classic that comes to the Xbox One family of consoles. Midnight Club: Los Angeles and Rockstar presents Table Tennis are making their way as well. These follow other Xbox 360 games from Rockstar such as GTA 4, Bully, and Red Dead Redemption. Rockstar confirmed that GTA San Andreas will be available in both its original Xbox and Xbox 360 iterations. "Both the original Xbox release and the Xbox 360 version of San Andreas will be backward compatible. Save games from the original Xbox version will not transfer, however owners of that version will get the upgraded Xbox 360 version of the game, featuring higher resolution, enhanced draw distances, and Achievements," the company said. The games will be available on Xbox One from June 7. Digital game owners will have instant access to them on the Xbox One and can be downloaded via the Ready to Install section of the console. Physical owners can pop the Xbox 360 game disc or Xbox as well for San Andreas to download the game. It's great to see the Xbox One backwards compatibility program get more games. With an expanding library of Xbox 360 and original Xbox games coming to the service, it stands out as one of the major reasons to own an Xbox One. If you're a fan of video games, check out Transition, Gadgets 360's gaming podcast. You can listen to it via Apple Podcasts or RSS, or just listen to this week's episode by hitting the play button below.