Out of all the Grand Theft Auto games, Vice City was always my GTA.
Not GTA III. Not San Andreas. Not even the modern stuff. Vice City (for me, only the GTA: London 1969 Expansion came close) hit me at exactly the right time, and I absolutely rinsed it. I played it obsessively, learned the map inside out, and if I wasn’t on a mission, I was probably just cruising around aimlessly — usually with the V-Rock station blasting through my speakers.
So when I discovered you can now play GTA Vice City directly in a web browser, I had to give it a go.
Booting Back Into the 1980s
The browser version, hosted on DOS.Zone, doesn’t mess about. There’s no installer, no launcher, no compatibility nightmare — you just load it up, and suddenly you’re back at the Ocean View Hotel, wearing that Hawaiian shirt, ready to immerse yourself in a world voiced by the incomparable talents of Ray Liotta, Burt Reynolds, Fairuza Balk, Dennis Hopper, Robert Davi, Tom Sizemore, Gary Busey, Lee Majors, Debbie Harry, Kevin McKidd… and, uh Danny Dyer.
This isn’t some stripped-down remake or dodgy emulated mess. It’s proper Vice City, running thanks to modern browser tech (WebAssembly and the reVC engine, if you want the technical bit). The controls feel familiar, the city feels alive, and within minutes I was doing exactly what I used to do back in the day.
Which brings me to…
Just driving around was the game
Vice City was the first GTA where I didn’t always feel the need to “do” anything.
I’d grab a fast car, hit the road, and let the radio do its thing. While most people wax lyrical about Flash FM, I was always more at home on the rock channel. Windows down, engine roaring, guitars blaring — it was peak early-2000s gaming atmosphere.
Firing this up in a browser and doing that again felt weirdly emotional. Same roads. Same music. Same “I’ll just play for ten minutes” lie — followed by an hour disappearing into thin air.
How the browser version actually works
There is a small catch, and it’s an important one.
You’ll need to upload original game files (I used the EXE) to prove you own a legit copy of Vice City. That’s how DOS.Zone keeps things (mostly) above board — they’re not distributing Rockstar’s assets, just the engine that runs them.
(Initially the demo would run, but due to overwhelming attention, this has been disabled.)
If you already own Vice City somewhere (and let’s be honest, most of us probably do, if not on PC or console then on mobile), this means you can play the entire game in your browser without reinstalling anything.
No Windows compatibility issues.
No scratched old discs.
No tweaking settings for an hour before it works.
Just Vice City.
Does it feel weird playing GTA in a browser?
A little — but in a good way.
Playing Vice City on a modern PC browser, or even on a phone or tablet, feels like some kind of time-travelling tech magic. It still looks like Vice City. It still plays like Vice City. But the fact it’s running in a tab next to your LinkedIn window is not going to help you find that new job.
Controller support is there, keyboard works as expected, and touch controls even exist if you’re brave enough to try them.
Why does Vice City still seem so good?
Revisiting Vice City reminded me why it’s still my favourite GTA:
- The music is unbeatable
- The setting oozes style
- The map is just the right size
- The vibe is pure, unapologetic 80s excess
San Andreas was bigger. GTA V is more advanced (and who knows when GTA VI is really coming). But Vice City had soul — and this browser version proves it hasn’t lost any of it.
If Vice City was your GTA — the one you played endlessly, the one you still think about when someone mentions the series — then this browser version is absolutely worth checking out.
It won’t replace the original experience, but it will remind you why you fell in love with it in the first place. Especially if, like me, you crank up the rock station and just drive. One thing to note — I’d recommend plugging in a mouse or using a game controller, especially if you’re on a laptop. Touchpads don’t seem to work too well.
Otherwise, it’s Vice City!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a drug dealer operating out of an ice cream van to deal with…
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
