How to increase FPS in GTA 4 with Vulkan

Many PC gamers want to play GTA 4 smoothly, and most have tried various methods to achieve this. While console gamers can play the game without issues, Rockstar Games has not well-optimized the game for PC.

However, developer DIRECREEP from Nexus Mods has created a patch that allows PC gamers to play the game at a consistent frame rate. While there are occasional minor dips during intense graphics renders, the gameplay remains mostly stable compared to the original version or other mods.

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How to boost FPS in GTA 4 with mods

DIRECREEP developed a new patch called DXVK (stutter and performance fix) (new version) that employs the Vulkan API to provide a more stable framerate in Grand Theft Auto 4. According to the modder, their mod provides a more stable performance than other APIs such as DirectX.

While the rest of the graphics quality remains unchanged, players can expect well-balanced frame rates with minimal flickering. The modders claim no specific frame rate range. Instead, it will be entirely dependent on the users' system specifications and the in-game settings they select for GTA 4.

The mod is compatible with all versions of the game, including GTA Episodes from Liberty City and the Complete Edition. However, before installing the mod, gamers must ensure that their GPU supports the Vulkan API.

DIRECREEP also mentions that after launching the game with the mod enabled, players should check their Video Memory usage. The game uses 512 MB of GPU memory by default. If the same thing happens, players can do one of two things, depending on their GPU capacity:

• If your GPU has a capacity of 4 GB or more:

1. Open commandline.txt
2. Edit -availablevidmem value to any digits between 4090-4095

• If your GPU has a capacity of 2 GB or less:

1. Open commandline.txt
2. Edit -availablevidmem value to any digits between 2040-2045

However, any Rockstar Launcher update resets the value to 512 MB. Therefore, the modder requests the users to edit the values each time it is updated.

Running the modded game for the first time after each shutdown may result in some stuttering. According to the developers, the reason is that the program must write the Vulkan cache. However, users with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or higher may not experience the issue for the first 20 minutes.

For improved stability, DIRECREEP recommends using the RivaTuner software and setting the framerate to 60 frames per second. According to the modder, this will provide a stable 60 FPS gameplay with no frame-dropping issues.

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Other mods to enhance the gameplay experience in GTA 4

While the DXVK mod stabilizes framerates in GTA 4, players can improve their experience by experimenting with other graphics and gameplay-enhancing mods. Gamers can choose GTAinside's 4K Ultra HD Graphics mod to give Liberty City a crystal-clear environment.

Users can also alter the Euphoria Engine driving experience with Killatomate's Realistic Driving & Flying mod. This will improve the handling of 170 vehicles in GTA 4, and players will no longer have to deal with the "boat-like driving" simulation.

The Liberty City Customs mod can bring the Los Santos auto shop to Grand Theft Auto 4. Modder XxproxXgammer has created a working version of the auto shop where players can upgrade brakes, defense, respray, and many other things in the game.