GTA San Andreas with DXVK: classic and Definitive Edition

Which San Andreas do you have?

Two different games share the name. Check yours first.

• Classic (2005 PC version). A 32-bit Direct3D 9 game, reported to start from gta_sa.exe. Heavily modded with SilentPatch, ASI loaders and graphics mods.
• The Definitive Edition (2021). Part of a trilogy remaster built on Unreal Engine 4, reported to use Direct3D 11 and 64-bit. DXVK’s profile matches SanAndreas.exe, next to LibertyCity.exe and ViceCity.exe.

Use the Game Checker on your exe: it reads bitness and Direct3D version from the file. We could not confirm folder paths or exe locations for either edition.

The Definitive Edition’s card, since the first one above is for the classic game:

Classic (2005): install

To undo it, delete the DLLs you copied (F12): see the uninstall guide. The general steps, with the checklist and warnings, are on the Windows install page.

The classic game’s modding scene often uses an ASI loader that is a vorbisFile.dll or dinput8.dll rather than a d3d9.dll; if so it coexists with DXVK’s file, because the names differ. We did not verify that, so check your folder with the Game Checker’s folder mode before you copy anything. DXVK 1.10.1 and 2.4.1 release notes list GTA: San Andreas fixes, so use a current version.

Community guides say the game’s own 25 or 30 FPS limiter is tied to its physics, so keep it on; DXVK’s frame cap should not be needed (not tested by us). What DXVK changes in this game is compatibility and frame pacing on modern GPUs, not necessarily FPS: we have no measurement either way.

When a mod already uses d3d9.dll

ENB and some graphics mods ship their own d3d9.dll. A folder can hold only one file with that name, so you must choose one tool or chain them under different names. See overlay and mod conflicts and ReShade with DXVK. We did not test any chain here.

Definitive Edition: install

Copy both DLLs beside the Definitive Edition’s own game exe, using the same four steps as above with the x64 folder. DXVK has a built-in profile for the three trilogy programs:

Unreal Engine 4 games compile shaders at run time and can stutter. DXVK 3.x keeps a shader cache on disk (F19) so repeat visits should be smoother, but we measured none of it. The profile line is applied automatically when the exe name matches. Check the HUD (HUD guide) to see compile activity.

Android and GTA San Andreas

The Android port is a native app. DXVK on Android (Winlator and similar) is for running the PC version; see DXVK on Android.

Remove DXVK

Delete the DLLs you copied (F12). If you also use a mod loader, leave its files alone.

What we have not tested

• Any run of either edition: FPS, stutter and crashes are unmeasured.
• Whether the Definitive Edition’s exe path and Direct3D 11 mode are as reported.
• Mod coexistence: SilentPatch, ASI loaders, CLEO, ENB.
• Whether DXVK is better or worse than the game’s normal Direct3D on your GPU.
• The Rockstar launcher’s behaviour when files change.

Check your own copy

The Game Checker reads your .exe on your device and tells you its bitness and Direct3D version. Our checker also flags files in the game folder that use the same name as DXVK’s DLLs.