Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

2002 Rockstar Games Action

Windows 11With a fix

MacNot sold

LinuxGold

Steam DeckUnsupported

Gamicality score

Metacritic 944

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 911

How it’s combined

Playability today

Runs today2/5

Design today1.5/5

Steam user reviews

Very Positive

93%

29,276 reviews1

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 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 DeckUnsupported

Unsupported, as rated by Valve.1

Played Grand Theft Auto: Vice City lately?

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

How to get Grand Theft Auto: Vice City running today

Install SilentPatch to fix many PC-specific bugs, including mouse sensitivity that only applies to the horizontal axis (PCGamingWiki).
Install ThirteenAG's Widescreen Fix for correct widescreen, HUD scaling and mouse aiming, and to set a frame rate cap (PCGamingWiki).
Keep the frame rate at 30 or 60 fps, because higher rates break cutscenes, vehicle physics and boat missions (PCGamingWiki).
For modern controllers, install GInput, which adds XInput support and proper button prompts (PCGamingWiki).

Synopsis

Vice City is an open-world crime game set in a neon-soaked, 1980s take on Miami. You play Tommy Vercetti, fresh out of prison and sent south by his old mob family, who builds his own criminal empire after a drug deal goes wrong. You drive, fly and shoot your way through story missions, buy up businesses and cruise the city with a radio full of 80s hits.

Developer: Rockstar Games
Released: 2002
Best version: This entry covers the original release, playable with fan patches; the 2021 Definitive Edition is a separate remaster that adds checkpoints and modern controls.
Genre: Action

Reception

Critics hailed it as a landmark when it reached PC in 2003, praising the setting, the soundtrack, the voice cast and the freedom to roam; it holds a PC Metascore of 94. Players on Steam still rate it Very Positive, though this version was delisted in 2021 and can no longer be bought, calling it a nostalgic classic. Retrospectives point to dated controls, a few infamously frustrating missions and the lack of mission checkpoints as the parts that have aged worst.

Playability today

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

Runs today

2/5

?Not confirmed yetSold or given away today by an official source
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
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)
Steam app 12110 was delisted in October 2021 and can no longer be bought; existing owners keep the full licensed soundtrack, while the Rockstar Games Launcher version lost some songs (PCGamingWiki).
No proper support for modern resolutions and widescreen
Native widescreen is limited and causes a stretched HUD and cropped image without ThirteenAG's Widescreen Fix (PCGamingWiki).
No full controller support and no remappable controls
Only DirectInput controllers work natively; XInput and DualShock need GInput (PCGamingWiki).
Not Steam Deck Verified or Playable
?Not confirmed yetNo intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
No unresolved issue crashes or blocks progress once the frame rate is capped (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

1.5/5

Controls feel awkward on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Modern XInput and PlayStation controllers are not supported without a fan mod, and the game labels buttons by number; the 2021 remaster had to rework the controls toward a modern shooter scheme. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, klardendum.com, steamcommunity.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
The in-game widescreen option stretches the HUD and crops the image, and other aspect ratios are simply stretched, so a fan fix is needed for a clean picture. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
Saving is harsh: few saves or checkpoints, progress gets lost
Progress is saved only by walking onto a save icon at a safehouse, missions have no checkpoints, and a failed mission must be restarted by driving back to where it began. Source: klardendum.com, gta.wiki, gamingnexus.com.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
Story missions open up new activities and areas as they are completed, so the game unfolds gradually, though Gaming Nexus found the range of options a little overwhelming at the start. Source: worthplaying.com, gamingnexus.com.
Pacing drags: grind, filler or forced backtracking
Failed missions send the player back across the city to retry, and half of the map stays locked behind story progress for the first part of the game. Source: klardendum.com.
Camera or movement fights the player
Out of the box the mouse look applies sensitivity only to the horizontal axis, and the widescreen mode misaligns mouse aiming, both of which need fan patches to correct. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.