[EASY GUIDE] Quick Fixes for Playable GTA IV CE in 2025

A simple no nonsense straightforward guide to make GTA IV more stable and smooth in 2025

SIMPLE FIX

Yes, this game is a buggy mess, here’s my bare minimum how you can make it more stable and playable without requiring to downgrade your game version.

Let’s get straight to it:

1. Right-click the game in Steam Library → Properties → General tab → enter your Launch Options at the bottom. Add these to your launch options:
-nomemrestrict -norestrictions -availablevidmem 4096

(Replace 4096 with the amount of VRAM your GPU has. I use 4096 because mine has AMD RX 580 4GB.)

2. Install FusionFix - Fixes various bugs and expands graphical customization options
Download it from here & copy to the GTAIV directory:
https://github.com/ThirteenAG/GTAIV.EFLC.FusionFix

That should already improve performance noticeably. But if you want to take it a step further, here’s an optional tweak I recommend:

3. DXVK 2.6.1 (As of April 2025) - Doesn’t work on every hardware, but when it does, the performance gains are totally worth it.
Copy dxgi.dll and d3d9.dll from this link:
https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk

4 Radio Downgrader - The Complete Edition removed many iconic songs, but this mod restores them. Highly recommended for the full Liberty City experience!
https://github.com/Tomasak/GTA-Downgraders/releases/tag/iv-latest

Should be ez, now sit back and enjoy Liberty City like it's 2008 all over again!

KNOWN BUGS & SOLUTION

Here's known bugs list and solution that is leftovers from the original release that were never officially fixed by Rockstar, and some are caused by unofficial fixes from above. Feel free to share in comment if you discover more.

1. (GTA IV) – During the final mission "Out of Commission" (both endings), the player is unable to climb into the helicopter.
Solution: Go to the graphics settings and limit the FPS to 30

2. (TLAD) – The game crashes when approaching Elizabeta’s mission marker for "Marta Full of Grace."
Solution: Disable FusionFix temporarily. Go to your GTAIV game folder, open the "plugins" folder, and delete GTAIV.EFLC.FusionFix.asi.Then start the game and get through the mission (yeah, the graphics and performance will suck, but hold on for one mission). Once you're done, just restore the .asi file back to install FusionFix back on.

Extra Guides for Modders

- Scripthook & ASI Loader for Complete Edition

[Arborea]

Problem fixed... GTA 4 map was read only...

[Arborea]

Thanks for the guide. Been playing for 4 hours now and Rockstar launcher is crying about an update which is 12.2mb and now i can't play anymore. Anyone has a fix?

[Let Me Out Of The Sack]

I run the game just fine, until i have to save, it just dont work.

[Hubert Skeletrix]

Thank you for bringing back great video games memories for me this guide was a great help to get my game at 60 fps THANK YOU!

[Phantomkick]

@velen0 I never had that issue before, have u tried set FPS limit in the settings? (50-60)

@Neco Flinovich Game directory,
1. Right click on GTA IV on your steam library
2. Manage -> Browse Local Files
3. "GTAIV" folder <-- put files here

[Neco Flinovich]

where to throw these files?

[velen0]

I noticed something odd. When I run, Niko's speed is much higher than expected. What can I do to resolve this problem?

[Phantomkick]

Nice, glad to hear that hope it works well for you

[rusty dood]

Yep got the one from gtainside to work, you install the scripthook from there as well. Cheers.

[Phantomkick]

Assuming you installed FusionFix, I used this:

https://www.gtainside.com/en/gta4/mods/161408-2020-complete-edition-asi-loader-scripthook/

Just copy everything into your game folder except for dsound.dll, since FusionFix already includes its own loader (dinput8.dll).

As for a trainer you can use any one available online that works with ScriptHook, personally i use Simple Native Trainer.