5 essential things for running GTA San Andreas on modern PCs

Running GTA San Andreas on modern PCs can be a bit disappointing as the game was never meant for modern hardware. The game is nearly 20 years old, and as such, it doesn't come with widescreen support, has low-resolution textures, LOD issues, and various bugs that Rockstar never fixed. Thankfully, the modding community has done their utmost best to fix all these issues and help run this classic on modern systems.

There are numerous guides and modpacks that will help you with playing GTA San Andreas on modern PCs. With that in mind, here's a list of the most essential downloads you'll be needing to play the game in 2024. It should be noted that this isn't a definitive list; there are numerous other suggested fixes and improvements that you might have to install on top of the mods listed here.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.

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Five most essential downloads for playing GTA San Andreas on modern PCs

1) Downgrader

The version of GTA San Andreas available on Steam and the Rockstar Games Launcher has some unwanted changes that make modding difficult. It also has the same problem as the GTA Definitive Edition Trilogy in that many songs are missing because of expired licenses.

A major reason why Rockstar updated the game in the first place was to block access to the Hot Coffee minigame, but this also undid many of their fixes. So, if you want to run a more stable, mod-friendly version of GTA San Andreas on modern PCs without any missing content, you'll need to downgrade.

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2) SA Essentials Pack

The SA Essentials Pack is a collection of the most important mods and fixes for running GTA San Andreas on modern PCs. It contains essential tools for modding like Silent's ASI Loader, CLEO, and Modloader, along with the most crucial patches like SilentPatch, ThirteenAG's Widescreen Fix, and much more.

Most players will be familiar with the mods listed under this pack, but it's nice to have them all together in one place. The collection was created by MixMods, so you'll find it on their website.

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3) SA Proper Fixes

SA Proper Fixes is another collection of essential fixes created by MixMods. This includes countless map fixes that attempt to correct broken textures, lighting, collision issues, and more. Some of the map improvements have been taken from the console versions of the games.

The vegetation is greatly improved, and a major change is the addition of LOD models for trees, which will prevent the annoying tree pop-ins seen when flying any aircraft. This is an absolute must-have for playing GTA San Andreas on modern PCs in 2024, and there's also a mobile version of it if you're planning to download a GTA San Andreas APK.

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4) Project2DFX

The most basic explanation of Project 2DFX is that it increases the draw distance of all lights in the San Andreas map. If you think the vanilla game feels too dark and bland at night, this mod is for you. It also adds lights where there should've been lights, like the Sherman Dam and some bridges.

Ultimately, it will make the San Andreas skyline look much more realistic and lived in. This doesn't ruin the original lighting and ambiance of the game, which Rockstar has tried to bring back in the GTA Definitive Edition Trilogy on Netflix.

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5) RoSa Evolved

RoSa Evolved is the definitive retexture mod for playing GTA San Andreas on modern PCs in 2024. It replaces almost all low-resolution textures around the map with detailed higher-resolution ones. This includes the landscape, items, buildings, and even the iconic murals in Los Santos, which have been a major highlight of the project.

There are many retexture mods for San Andreas, but none are as ambitious and as detailed as RoSa. RoSa corrects many improper textures as well and completely overhauls the vegetation, making all trees in San Andreas look more realistic. The best thing about RoSa is that it's completely lore-friendly, and none of the textures look out of place.