Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition

2008 Rockstar North, Rockstar Toronto Action, Adventure

Windows 11With a fix

MacNot sold

LinuxGold

Steam DeckPlayable

Gamicality score

Metacritic 904

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 821

How it’s combined

Playability today

Runs today3/5

Design today2.5/5

Steam user reviews

Very Positive

82%

175,184 reviews1

Get it on Steam Watch the trailer

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11With a fix

Runs with a fix. See the steps below.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxGold

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Gold, runs perfectly after tweaks.3

Steam DeckPlayable

Playable, as rated by Valve. May need some setup.1

Played Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

How to get Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition running today

Install the fan patch FusionFix, which fixes many port bugs, restores broken shaders and adds an accurate frame rate limiter (PCGamingWiki).
Keep the frame rate at 60 FPS or lower, with in-game VSync on a 60 Hz display or with FusionFix's limiter, because higher frame rates break vehicle physics and some scripted missions (PCGamingWiki).

Synopsis

An open-world crime drama in which Niko Bellic, a war veteran from Eastern Europe, arrives in Liberty City to join his cousin Roman and is drawn into the city's criminal underworld. You drive, shoot from cover and take jobs from a cast of contacts, while the two included episodes tell parallel stories of a biker gang member and a nightclub owner's bodyguard.

Developer: Rockstar North, Rockstar Toronto
Released: 2008
Best version: The Complete Edition, which bundles the base game with both Episodes from Liberty City, is the only version sold today and replaced the separate releases on Steam in 2020.
Genre: Action, Adventure
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

Critics acclaimed it in 2008 for its detailed city, physics-driven driving and darker story, and players still single out Niko's story and the sense of place. Its PC port has a lasting reputation as one of the worst performing versions of a major game, and many Steam reviews amount to step-by-step guides for fan fixes before the game runs smoothly. Common criticisms of the design itself include the constant phone calls from friends, the lack of mid-mission checkpoints and heavy car handling that not everyone warms to. The 2020 Steam update also removed multiplayer and cut licensed radio songs, which some players still hold against it.

Trailer from Steam

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

3/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Needs fan patches to run well on Windows 11
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Some content no longer works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
The 2020 update removed multiplayer and Games for Windows Live, and more than 50 licensed radio songs were removed in 2018 when their licenses expired (PCGamingWiki).
Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
Widescreen, ultrawide and 4K are supported, though cutscenes are cropped on ultrawide displays without a fan fix (PCGamingWiki).
Full controller support or remappable controls
Full controller support with Xbox button prompts, though buttons can only be switched between preset layouts (PCGamingWiki).
Steam Deck Verified or Playable
Intrusive DRM or a required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
Known game-breaking bugs in the current version
The unpatched PC version is notorious for poor performance and frame pacing, and frame rates above 60 FPS cause physics and timing bugs that can block missions (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

2.5/5

Controls feel awkward on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Mouse acceleration is always on and can only be removed with a fan fix, and controller buttons cannot be remapped beyond a few preset layouts. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
Menus, text and interface are clear on today's screens
The game supports widescreen, multi-monitor and 4K resolutions with a working HUD, and its menus can be used with the mouse. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
Saving is harsh: few saves or checkpoints, progress gets lost
Manual saves happen only by sleeping in a safehouse bed, with autosaves after some missions, and base-game missions have no mid-mission checkpoints, so dying after a long drive means replaying the whole mission. Source: gta.wiki, gta.wiki, thesixthaxis.com.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
The opening missions show on-screen tutorial prompts for driving, saving and the map icons, and each new system is explained the first time it appears. Source: gta.wiki.
Pacing drags: grind, filler or forced backtracking
Friends call often to ask Niko out bowling, drinking or to play darts, and turning them down or ignoring them lowers their opinion of him, a feature widely called tedious. Source: gta.wiki, thesixthaxis.com.
Camera or movement fights the player
Cars handle with heavy, swaying physics that differ sharply from earlier games in the series, and players describe the driving as strange and slow to get used to. Source: gta.wiki, thesixthaxis.com.