Free ‘GTA’ Mod Revives ‘San Andreas’ Experience

Many beloved titles from Rockstar have unfortunately missed out on proper VR adaptations over the years. However, modder ‘Holydh’ has stepped up to fill that gap with a modified UEVR plugin for the PC version of GTA: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition (2021), making the revamped 2004 classic accessible on PC VR headsets.

This mod, known as the ‘GTA San Andreas Definitive Edition – 6DoF UEVR Plugin’, introduces full first-person VR experience paired with 6DOF motion controls for the game’s Steam edition. Holydh has clarified though that the mod isn’t compatible with the Epic Games Store or Rockstar launcher versions.

The underlying technology for the mod is based on the Unreal Engine VR (UEVR) plugin by ‘praydog’. However, Holydh’s adaptation adds several unique enhancements that aren’t available in UEVR alone. Without it, for instance, the in-game camera would auto-align to follow CJ’s movements.

With this plugin, players enjoy control over all pedestrian actions, including crouching, along with the operation of various vehicles—not to forget the iconic jetpack! Camera comfort tweaks, automated UEVR camera setting adjustments for cutscenes, and motion controller-compatible weaponry all come together seamlessly. Even sniper scopes are functional, meaning you can fully engage with the game in VR from start to finish.

Curious to see the mod in action? Holydh offers a glimpse of it below:

Interested players can grab Holydh’s mod for free from Nexus Mods. To make it work with the Steam version, you’ll need to follow a bit of a setup process. Besides owning the Steam version of the game, downloading Praydog’s UEVR Nightly 01042 build—which is conveniently linked on the Nexus Mods page—is necessary.

As for hardware requirements, some users report smooth performance with NVIDIA RTX 2080s, but there are plenty of graphical settings to adjust in case your system houses an older GPU.

While this project is open-source and hosted on GitHub for customization, it’s crucial to keep in mind that Rockstar Games’ parent company, Take-Two Interactive, hasn’t been shy about pursuing legal action against similar mods in the past. For example, in 2022, they took action against some mods by Luke Ross, including VR mods for GTA 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Mafia Definitive Edition.

Interestingly, the DMCA takedown didn’t target Ross directly but was aimed at Patreon, pointing out issues since Ross was offering early access to mods behind paid tiers. Fortunately, UEVR and Holydh’s plugin are available for free, offering enthusiasts a better chance of enjoying GTA: San Andreas on PC VR without interruption for the long haul.

As for an official VR version of GTA: San Andreas hitting the standalone Quest platform, it seems like fans will need to keep waiting, as its release has been delayed indefinitely.