Cover-Credits:
Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA 5) has been ported over to numerous consoles since its release back in 2013. The game has been on three different console generations for both PlayStation and Xbox along with being present on PC since 2015. The game has also made its way to Valve’s handheld, thanks to its incredibly powerful Zen 2 chipset and RDNA graphics.
Although the game runs great on the Steam Deck, many players are wondering if they can install mods on this version of GTA 5. Thankfully, the handheld device does allow you to install mods but it does require you to go through a few intricate steps to run them. Here’s how you can do it.
Installing Mods for GTA 5 on Steam Deck
Before going through this process, make sure you keep a backup of your game files. If you do run into errors, it will help you retrieve lost or corrupt files without having to go through the hassle of re-installing the game from scratch. Follow these steps to install launchers, plugins, and trainers to mod GTA 5 on Steam Deck:
Download and install the Script Hook V framework
Upon unzipping this, you will find three different files inside the bin folder. These are ScriptHook.dll, dinput8.dll, and nativetrainer.asi
Delete the file named nativetrainer.asi as you will not be able to use it directly.
Move ScriptHook.dll and dinput8.dll to your game’s original folder which will be the Steamapps folder if you purchased it on Steam.
Download a custom trainer mod such as Enhanced Native Trainer, Menyoo, or Simple Trainer which helps you easily apply or remove mods to GTA 5.
Once they are downloaded and installed, navigate and place the plugins into the game’s original folder, similar to installing the ScriptHook.
You will now have to modify the game’s launch options with the following command lines.
If you have the game installed on your Steam Deck’s internal memory, use this: WINEDLLOVERRIDES="dinput8.dll=n,b" %command%
If the game files are located on your SD card, use this: STEAM_COMPAT_MOUNTS=/run/media/mmcblk0p1 WINEDLLOVERRIDES="dinput8=n,b" %command%
Once you have successfully followed these steps, you can now install any mod from the enormous collection of mods that GTA 5 has accumulated over the years. You will find numerous reliable mods over on GTA5-Mods, Nexus Mods, GTA 5 Inside, etc. You can install anything from texture packs, character models, vehicles, weapons, and voice packs to popular mods like Chaos mod, Alien Invasion mod, Spider-Man mod, GTA RP mods, and more.
That is pretty much everything you need to know when it comes to installing Grand Theft Auto 5 mods on your Steam Deck. Make sure you disable any mods before heading into the game’s online mode as it can possibly result in your Rockstar account getting banned indefinitely.
Although it is not as straightforward as installing mods on a PC, following the aforementioned steps will provide you with an amazing Grand Theft Auto experience on the fly! Do note that the command line was provided by StealthOptional.
