Grand Theft Auto III

Warnings

The macOS (OS X) version of this game does not work on macOS Catalina (version 10.15) or later due to the removal of support for 32-bit-only apps.


⤏ Go to series page
Grand Theft Auto	1997
Grand Theft Auto 2	1999
Grand Theft Auto III	2002
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	2003
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas	2005
Grand Theft Auto IV	2008
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City	2010
Grand Theft Auto: iFruit	2013
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 10 Year Anniversary	2014
Grand Theft Auto V	2015
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars	2021
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition (series)

Key points

Exceeding 30 FPS introduces gameplay and physics issues.

Ability to import your music for your own custom radio station.

SilentPatch is essential to avoid a number of serious glitches which may prevent 100% game completion.

General information

Rockstar Games's Official site

Rockstar Games's Official Grand Theft Auto site

Steam Community Discussions

GTAForums - Grand Theft Auto III Discussion.

Grand Theft Wiki

GTA Network - A huge network of fansites all dedicated to the Grand Theft Auto series

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail		SafeDisc DRM^{[Note 1]}.
Amazon.com
Green Man Gaming
Humble Store
Mac App Store
Steam

SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see above for affected versions).

Essential improvements

Patches

Patch 1.1 fixes several bugs. Most digital distribution versions already include this patch.

Skip intro videos

Rename/delete movies folder^{[citation needed]}
Go to the installation folder. Delete or rename the `movies` folder. Launch the game normally and you should skip every intro movie entirely.

SilentPatch

Fixes numerous bugs and oversights introduced in the PC version.

How to install^{[citation needed]}
Extract both `SilentPatchIII.asi` and `models` folder to `<path-to-game>`.

GInput

Adds full XInput controller support

Restores haptic feedback from console versions

Choice between Xbox and DualShock button prompts

Unpack patch in <path-to-game>\

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\GTA3 User Files\gta3.set
macOS (OS X)
Steam Play (Linux)	<Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/12100/pfx/^{[Note 2]}

Configuration file is encrypted

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\GTA3 User Files\GTA3sf*.b
macOS (OS X)	~/Documents/GTA3 User Files/
Steam Play (Linux)	<Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/12100/pfx/^{[Note 2]}

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
Steam Cloud

Video settings

In-game video settings.

Template:Video settings

Widescreen resolution

In-game wide screen option allows to retain proper aspect ratio, though only for 16:9 resolutions. Otherwise picture is stretched.

Yet not only wide screen option cuts part of the image (Vert-), it does also misalign aiming.

Accurate widescreen implementation^{[citation needed]}

Download ThirteenAG's fix.
Extract GTA3.WidescreenFix folder contents in <path-to-game>.

Notes

Multi-monitor users also need to use SilentPatch^[3]

Field of view can be controlled inside GTA3.WidescreenFix.ini

MSAA can be enabled inside GTA3.WidescreenFix.ini for non-Steam version

Windowed

ThirteenAG's Windowed Mode^{[citation needed]}

Download the Ultimate ASI loader
Download the mod here
Put the III.VC.SA.WindowedMode.asi and (optionally) III.VC.SA.CoordsManager.exe to <path-to-game>\scripts\

Requires 1.0 version

Shortcuts

Alt+↵ Enter toggles Fullscreen/Windowed modes
Ctrl+↵ Enter toggles Border/Borderless modes
⇧ Shift+↵ Enter toggles Coords Manager menu

Use D3DWindower^{[citation needed]}

Input settings

In-game key map settings.

In-game mouse settings.

Template:Input settings

Audio settings

In-game audio settings.

Template:Audio settings

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
Czech
French
German
Italian
Polish				Retail only. Made by publisher
Russian				Retail only. Patch for digital release here.
Slovak
Spanish

Network

Dedicated multiplayer maps can be restored with a mod

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Notes
LAN play		Use Liberty Unleashed.
Online play		Use Liberty Unleashed.

Connection types

Type	Native	Notes
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated		Use Liberty Unleashed.
Self-hosting		Use Liberty Unleashed.
Direct IP

VR support

3D modes	State	GG3D	Notes
iZ3D

Issues fixed

Game refuses to start

Fix Data Execution Prevention setting^{[citation needed]}
Ensure Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is set to the default (Windows programs and services only).

Download fixed GTA III/GTA VC DDraw Component and put the `ddraw.dll` in <path-to-game>\

Cannot find 640x480 video mode error

Download fixed GTA III/GTA VC DDraw Component and put the `ddraw.dll` in <path-to-game>^[4]

Game requires at least 12MB of available video memory error

Download fixed GTA III/GTA VC DDraw Component and put the `ddraw.dll` in <path-to-game>^[5]

Game freezes at loading

Delete gta3.set^{[citation needed]}

Turn on frame limiter^{[citation needed]}

Vehicles are missing colours

Install Steam Car Colour Fix ^{[citation needed]}

Wonky physics while walking on sloped surfaces

Turn on the frame limiter^[6]

Inaccurate aiming

Playing wide screen places the real aim slightly above and to the right of the displayed crosshairs.

Install the Widescreen resolution fix^{[citation needed]}

Missing text in menus

Install SilentPatch^{[citation needed]}

Bad lighting, reflections, shadowing

Install SilentPatch^{[citation needed]}

Purple Nines gang has vanished

Install SilentPatch^[7]

Mouse sensitivity resets after restart

Install SilentPatch^[8]

The game will ask for CD even when all files are copied to the disk

Install SilentPatch^[9]

Alchemy doesn't restore EAX

Install Alchemy Fix^{[citation needed]}

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	8
Shader Model support	1.4

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows
macOS (OS X)

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Audio	Miles Sound System	6.1c

OpenRW

OpenRW is an open source game engine that attempts to re-implement the engine used in classic GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas in order to ensure a better compatibility with modern system and playable in the future. It currently supports only GTA 3 and it is currently not finished yet, however you can still play the game with it. Bear in mind that you need to compile it from its source code, instructions and requirements are available

Modding

Frequently used plugins

CLEO - Popular script extender used by lots of sophisticated mods.
IMG Manager V2.0 - Beta version of the most bug-free .img files manager

Featured mods

GTA III Dark Edition - Collection of various litter graphics improvements
GTA III Xbox Version HD - Port many of the high quality Xbox models and effects to PC release
Liberty City - The Leftovers Fix - Restores elements from the original PS2 release like 'Under Surveillance' dialog and missing song from Double Cleff FM.

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	98, ME, 2000, XP
Processor (CPU)	AMD Athlon 500 MHz Intel Pentium III 450 MHz	AMD Athlon 700 MHz Intel Pentium III 700 MHz
System memory (RAM)	96 MB	128 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	700 MB
Video card (GPU)	Direct3D compatible 16 MB of VRAM DirectX 8.1 compatible	Direct3D compatible 32 MB of VRAM
Sound (audio device)	DirectX compatible

macOS (OS X)
	Minimum
Operating system (OS)	10.6.8
Processor (CPU)	Intel Core 2 Duo
System memory (RAM)	1 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	1.5 GB
Video card (GPU)	ATI Radeon X1600 Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT Intel GMA X3100

Notes

↑ SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows 10^[1] or Windows 11 and is disabled by default on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 when the KB3086255 update is installed.^[2]
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data (use Wine regedit to access Windows registry paths). Games with Steam Cloud support may store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/12100/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (12100) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.

References

[3] SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows 10^[1] or Windows 11 and is disabled by default on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 when the KB3086255 update is installed.^[2]

[Proton_path_note-4] 2.0 ^2.1 File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data (use Wine regedit to access Windows registry paths). Games with Steam Cloud support may store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/12100/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (12100) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.

[1] Not Loading in Windows 10; this will break thousands of - Microsoft Community - last accessed on 2017-01-16

[2] Microsoft - MS15-097: Description of the security update for the graphics component in Windows: September 8, 2015 - last accessed on 2018-02-16

[5] SilentPatch - Page 101 - GTAForums

[6] Can't find 640x480 video mode FIX :: Steam Community Discussions

[7] Grand Theft Auto III requires at least 12MB of available video memory - Help please?! :: Steam Community Discussions

[8] GTA III bug - Steam Users' Forums (retrieved)

[9] Southside Hoods - Grand Theft Wiki, the GTA wiki

[10] SilentPatch - Page 141 - GTAForums

[11] SilentPatch - Page 148 - GTAForums:

[Note 1]

[Note 2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

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[8]

[9]

[1]

[2]

Developers

	Rockstar North
Publishers
	Rockstar Games
Japan	Capcom
Engines
	RenderWare
Release dates
Windows	May 20, 2002
macOS (OS X)	November 12, 2010