GTA 5 Best Custom Settings for PC and Consoles — The Guide

If you’re still enjoying Grand Theft Auto V on an older PC or console, you might find that the default settings aren’t quite cutting it for smooth gameplay. Fear not, as with a few tweaks, you can improve your experience without splashing out on new hardware.

Image by IGN

In this Medium post, I will share all the best adjustments, and you will notice a marked improvement in how GTA 5 runs on your low-end PC or older console. While it might not look as stunning as on newer systems, you’ll still be able to enjoy the game’s expansive world without constant stuttering or frame drops.

Here are some custom settings to help you run GTA 5 smoothly on a low-end PC and old consoles:

GTA 5 Low-End PC Settings

1. Resolution: 1280 x 720 or 1920 x 1080
2. Aspect Ratio: Auto
3. Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
4. FXAA: Off
5. MSAA: Off
6. VSync: Off
7. Population Density: Lowest
8. Population Variety: Lowest
9. Distance Scaling: Lowest
10. Texture Quality: Normal or Low
11. Shader Quality: Normal or Low
12. Shadow Quality: Normal or Low
13. Reflection Quality: Normal or Low
14. Reflection MSAA: Off
15. Water Quality: Normal or Low
16. Particles Quality: Normal or Low
17. Grass Quality: Normal or Low
18. Soft Shadows: Softest
19. Post FX: Normal or Low
20. Anisotropic Filtering: Off
21. Ambient Occlusion: Off
22. Tessellation: Off

Resources: List of all GTA 5 Custom Settings

Additional Tweaks

• Disable Shadows: Go to Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA V\settings.xml and set ShadowQuality value="0".
• Disable NPCs and Cars: Use a trainer mod to disable unnecessary NPCs and vehicles1.
• Lower Resolution: Set the game resolution to 720p or lower for better performance2.

Resources: List of Custom GTA 5 Commandlines

Old Consoles (PS3/Xbox 360)

For older consoles, the settings are generally fixed, but you can still improve performance by:

• Clearing Cache: Regularly clear the console cache to improve performance.
• Reduce Background Processes: Ensure no other applications are running in the background.
• Install Game on SSD: If possible, install the game on the console’s Solid State drive to reduce loading times.

These settings should help you get a smoother experience while playing GTA 5 on low-end hardware. If you need more specific tweaks or have any questions, feel free to ask!