How to play the PC version of GTA San Andreas on Android devices with Steam Link
GTA San Andreas on Android devices (Image via GTA RP Servers)
GTA games are generally quite popular within the gaming community and continue to set newer benchmarks with every new release. That being said, the more recent titles are also quite resource-demanding and will not run on older systems.
As far as older generation games such as San Andreas are concerned, they can run on almost any modern setup. However, 2022 is the age of getting things done ‘on the go’ and gaming has been affected by that fact as well, as the mobile gaming sphere grows in strength with every passing day. On that note, the article below shows readers how to play the iconic GTA San Andreas on an Android device using the Steam Link app.
Playing GTA San Andreas on Android devices is now possile thanks to the Steam Link app
Before downloading and setting up the Steam Link app, GTA gamers should meet the following requirements:
- A PC that runs and supports the game.
- An Android device: This can be a phone, tablet, or TV.
- A stable and fast internet connection.
- A working Steam account.
- A virtual copy of San Andreas in that account’s game library.
To begin with, both the Android device and PC need to be on the same network.
- The first and most important step is downloading the Steam Link app on the Android device via the Google Play Store.
- Once downloaded, the user needs to open the app and pair the Android device with the PC that has a copy of the game.
- After pairing the device, gamers will be able to see a Start Playing option. Once that is selected, the phone will start mirroring the PC screen in Steam’s Big Picture Mode.
It is important for gamers to note that the Steam Link app is simply a streaming software that replicates the PC screen onto the mobile device. For this to work smoothly, a stable and fast internet connection is necessary. Furthermore, the PC should meet the minimum system requirements to run the game, which fortunately isn’t that high for San Andreas.
As far as Android devices are concerned, players can use phones, tablets, or TVs.
Bugged games on mobile devices
Porting PC games over to Android or iOS is never an easy task and takes some effort. The development process is completely different and generally requires a start from scratch.
It is well known that GTA players often experience a multitude of bugs when it comes to playing older titles on Android devices. The games that are currently available on Android include:
- GTA San Andreas
- GTA Vice City
- GTA III
- Chinatown Wars
- Liberty City Stories
Interestingly, these are not free games and will need to be purchased, unlike most mobile games. Initially, gamers faced issues with signing in to the Rockstar Games Social Club, let alone playing the game.
An irritating and game-breaking issue came up when players shared their experiences regarding the saving and loading of files. Obviously, no one wants to see a failed save or load prompt after investing multiple hours into the game, an issue bound to cause major frustration within the community.
Fortunately, the Steam Link app lets players completely bypass the problems persistent with mobile ports and use their PC to stream the game instead. In a strange way, it’s the best of both worlds.