L.A. Noire is the detective game from Rockstar and Team Bondi set in 1947 Los Angeles. The 2011 original, Complete Edition for PC, the remaster for PS4, Xbox One and Switch, and The VR Case Files. US prices, GTA+, PC specs and languages.
What L.A. Noire is about
L.A. Noire is an open-world detective game. It is Los Angeles, 1947: war veteran Cole Phelps starts as a patrolman and works his way up through the police desks: Traffic, Homicide, Vice and Arson. In every case he examines the crime scene, looks for evidence and questions witnesses.
The interrogations are the heart of the game. The actors' faces were captured with Depth Analysis's MotionScan technology, so you can read lies in their expressions: a witness looks away, bites a lip, smiles nervously. You decide whether to believe them, doubt them or accuse them of lying, and that shapes what you find out. Mistakes don't end the game, but they affect your case rating.
The game was made by Australian studio Team Bondi together with Rockstar, with the PC version handled by Rockstar Leeds. Team Bondi closed at the end of 2011, and the rights to L.A. Noire stayed with Rockstar. By February 2012, Take-Two had shipped almost 5 million copies.
Every version of L.A. Noire
| Version | Release | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| L.A. Noire | May 17, 2011 | PS3, Xbox 360 |
| L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition | Nov 8, 2011 | PC (Steam, Rockstar Store) |
| L.A. Noire (remaster) | Nov 14, 2017 | PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch |
| L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files | Dec 15, 2017 | HTC Vive; later Oculus Rift (2018), PS VR (2019) |
All current versions include the DLC cases that were sold separately in 2011: The Naked City, A Slip of the Tongue, Nicholson Electroplating, Reefer Madness and The Consul's Car. The PS4 version also runs on PS5, and the Xbox One version on Xbox Series X|S.
The Switch version does more than the others: Joy-Con motion controls, touchscreen controls in interrogations (Good Cop, Bad Cop, Accuse), HD rumble and new camera angles. It takes up about 27.5 GB, so you will need a microSD card.
The VR Case Files is not the full game but seven cases rebuilt for virtual reality. There is no standalone Meta Quest version: you can only play it through Link from a PC.
Where to buy L.A. Noire and how much it costs
| Store | Version | US price (Oct 31, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Steam | Complete Edition (PC) | $19.99 |
| Rockstar Store | Complete Edition (PC) | sold here too; check the price for your region in the store |
| PlayStation Store | L.A. Noire (PS4, plays on PS5) | $39.99 or included with GTA+ |
| Steam | The VR Case Files | $29.99 |
| PlayStation Store | The VR Case Files (PS VR) | sold separately; check the current price in the store |
| Nintendo eShop | Switch | $49.99, on sale for $24.99 until November 7 |
| Xbox Store | Xbox One | $39.99 |
On PC the cheapest option is Steam, especially during sales. On PlayStation and Xbox the game is worth getting through GTA+ if you already subscribe. Switch owners should catch the eShop sale before November 7.
L.A. Noire on GTA+
L.A. Noire has been part of the GTA+ Games Library since May 2, 2024. On PlayStation Store and Xbox Store the game is marked as included for subscribers; on PC it is available through the Rockstar Games Launcher and Steam for those who subscribed there. There is no GTA+ on Nintendo Switch. The subscription costs $7.99 a month in the US; besides L.A. Noire it unlocks Bully, Red Dead Redemption and the classic GTA games.
L.A. Noire on PC: system requirements and 30 FPS
| Low end | High end | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
| CPU | Intel Dual Core 2.2 GHz / AMD Dual Core 2.4 GHz | Intel or AMD Quad Core 3.2 GHz |
| Memory | 2 GB | 8 GB |
| Graphics | GeForce 8600 GT 512 MB / Radeon HD 3000 | GeForce GTX 580 / Radeon HD 6850 |
| Storage | 16 GB | 16 GB |
Steam lists the requirements as a single range rather than minimum and recommended specs. You need a Rockstar Games account to play.
The PC version is capped at 30 frames per second. Fan patches remove the cap, but physics breaks at higher frame rates, especially in cars. Rockstar does not support these patches, so install them only with a backup of your game files.
The VR Case Files needs more: Windows 10 64-bit, Intel i7-4790K, 8 GB of memory, GeForce GTX 1070, 18 GB of storage and a 2 × 2 meter play area.
L.A. Noire languages and cheat codes
Language. Voice acting is in English, with subtitles in several European languages, including French, German, Italian and Spanish. For a game built entirely on dialogue, English-speaking players get it exactly as it was written and performed.
Cheat codes. L.A. Noire has no traditional codes on any platform. The game helps you in its own way: Intuition points (earned as you rank up) highlight evidence or remove a wrong option in an interrogation, and after several failures in a chase or a shootout the game offers to skip the scene. Outfits unlock through tasks, for example the Button Man suit for finding 20 badges.
L.A. Noire 2. Rockstar has not announced a sequel.
L.A. Noire FAQ
Is L.A. Noire on PS5?
There is no separate PS5 version, but the PS4 version runs on PS5. It costs $39.99 on the US PlayStation Store, or it comes with GTA+.
Is L.A. Noire on Nintendo Switch?
Yes, since November 14, 2017, with motion and touchscreen controls. You need a microSD card: the game takes up about 27.5 GB.
What is L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files?
A separate game for VR headsets with seven cases from L.A. Noire. It came out for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PS VR; on Quest it only works through Link from a PC.
Does L.A. Noire have cheat codes?
No. Intuition points help, and you can skip an action scene after failing it several times.
What languages is L.A. Noire in?
Voice acting is English only. Subtitles are available in several European languages, including French, German, Italian and Spanish.
Will L.A. Noire 2 come out?
Rockstar has not announced a sequel. Team Bondi, the studio behind the first game, closed in 2011.