Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition Best Steam Deck Settings

By /

It sounds almost silly to say about a game that pulled in over $2 billion, but Grand Theft Auto IV is an underrated hit overshadowed by its gargantuan follow-up. This open-world classic was a beast back in its day (Sony even used it to showcase the power of the PS3’s cell processor), so it’s mind-boggling to think that Grand Theft Auto IV is fully playable on a handheld.

Down below we’ve got the best Steam Deck settings for a stable 60fps at native resolution in Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition. And if you want to take the game on the go, check out the Battery Saver configuration for maximum playtime on a single charge.

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition Best Steam Deck Settings

Compatibility Settings
Proton Version Default

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition runs perfectly out of the box. Stick with the default launch settings and jump right into the in-game settings!

We’ve put together three different Steam Deck setting configurations:

  • Best Quality Settings for maxed-out visuals,

  • Best Performance Settings for smooth 60fps gameplay, and

  • Battery Saver settings for the longest playtime.

Check them out below!

Recommended — Best Quality Settings (Native@40fps | ~2h30m)

The settings should already look a lot like this when you first jump into the game on your Steam Deck. We just need to make a few tweaks to keep the game playable:

  • Night Shadows should be off. This causes the game to chug at night with barely any visual benefit.

  • Keep View Distance and Detail Distance as low as you can tolerate. Liberty City is filled with buildings that obstruct your sight, so there’s little point in having a view distance long enough to let you see the whole map.

  • Don’t touch Vehicle Density (unless it’s to turn it down). This isn’t a performance issue — the Steam Deck manages just fine with this setting cranked up to full — but having the roads constantly blocked with vehicles makes some missions nearly unplayable.

  • Set a Framerate Limit of 40fps. The Steam Deck can hit 60fps in most areas of the game, but you may notice frame drops every once in a while. We suggest keeping it at 40fps to maintain consistency.

In-game Graphics Settings
Video Mode 1280×800
Aspect Ratio Auto
Texture Quality High
Reflection Resolution High
Water Quality High
Shadow Quality High
Night Shadows Off
Texture Filter Quality Anisotropic x16
View Distance 50
Detail Distance 30
Vehicle Density 25
Definition On
VSync Off

Steam Deck Performance Menu Settings
Refresh Rate 40
Framerate Limit 40
Allow Tearing Off
Half Rate Shading Off
Thermal Power (TDP) Limit Off
Manual GPU Clock Control Off
Scaling Filter Linear

Best Performance Settings (720p@60fps | ~2h)

To get a constant 60fps, we need to pull a few settings down from high to medium. The visuals will be slightly worse, but if you prioritize the highest framerates, the graphics downgrade should be acceptable.

In-game Graphics Settings
Video Mode 1152×720
Aspect Ratio Auto
Texture Quality Low
Reflection Resolution Low
Water Quality Low
Shadow Quality Low
Night Shadows Off
Texture Filter Quality Anisotropic x8
View Distance 30
Detail Distance 20
Vehicle Density 10
Definition On
VSync Off

Steam Deck Performance Menu Settings
Refresh Rate 60
Framerate Limit 60
Allow Tearing Off
Half Rate Shading Off
Thermal Power (TDP) Limit Off
Manual GPU Clock Control Off
Scaling Filter FSR
FSR Sharpening 2

Battery Saver Settings (720p@30fps | ~3h)

Want maximum playtime on a single charge? Pull everything all the way down.

In-game Graphics Settings
Video Mode 1152×720
Aspect Ratio Auto
Texture Quality Low
Reflection Resolution Low
Water Quality Low
Shadow Quality Low
Night Shadows Off
Texture Filter Quality Off
View Distance 20
Detail Distance 10
Vehicle Density 10
Definition Off
VSync Off

Steam Deck Performance Menu Settings
Refresh Rate 30
Framerate Limit 30
Allow Tearing Off
Half Rate Shading Off
Thermal Power (TDP) Limit On
Watts 11
Manual GPU Clock Control Off
Scaling Filter FSR
FSR Sharpening 2

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top