GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition on Linux/Steam Deck - Guide

Starting GTA Vice City Next Edition on Linux - Complete Guide

Tested Environment

This guide was tested on:

OS: EndeavourOS
Kernel: 6.17.7-arch1-1
Lutris: lutris-0.5.19
Wine (Lutris): wine-ge-8-26-x86_64
Proton-GE: GE-Proton10-15
           GE-Proton9-27
DXVK: lib32-vulkan-icd-loader 1.4.328.1-1
MangoHud: v0.8.1

To get your system info, run this command:

echo "OS: $(cat /etc/os-release | grep PRETTY_NAME | cut -d'"' -f2)" && \
echo "Kernel: $(uname -r)" && \
echo "Lutris: $(lutris --version 2>/dev/null || echo 'not installed')" && \
echo "Wine (Lutris): $(ls ~/.local/share/lutris/runners/wine/ 2>/dev/null | grep -E 'lutris|wine' | tail -1 || echo 'not found')" && \
echo "Proton-GE: $(ls ~/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.d/ 2>/dev/null | grep -i proton | tail -2 || echo 'not found')" && \
echo "DXVK: $(pacman -Q dxvk-bin 2>/dev/null || pacman -Q lib32-vulkan-icd-loader 2>/dev/null || echo 'check via Lutris')" && \
echo "MangoHud: $(mangohud --version 2>/dev/null || echo 'not installed')"

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When to Use This Guide

This guide will help if you're experiencing:

• Black screen or instant crash (but splash/menu/loading screens work)
• Black screen crash after 5-10 seconds with no splash screen
• Instant crash on loading screen
• Splash screen appears but menu crashes instantly
• Missing "ENB series" splash screen on startup
• Any combination of the above issues
• Official instructions are unclear

Requirements for Successful Launch

What You Need:

• ~10 GB free disk space for the game installation
• Official game distribution from developers
• NO PATCH needed - V1.2.7 patch can actually cause performance issues and fullscreen problems
• Compatibility layer: Wine or Proton (via Lutris - strongly recommended)
• DXVK enabled in Wine/Proton environment
• d3d9 override: Must use game's own d3d9.dll via WINEDLLOVERRIDES="d3d9=n"
• dsound override NOT needed - Contrary to official instructions, WINEDLLOVERRIDES="dsound=n,b" disables sound completely in my testing

Why Lutris is Strongly Recommended

Even if Lutris seems unfamiliar to you, use it. Here's why:

• Without Lutris: You'll need to manually configure Wine prefixes, environment variables, DLL overrides via terminal commands, and troubleshoot compatibility issues yourself. It's significantly more complex, time-consuming, and error-prone.
• With Lutris: Everything is pre-configured out of the box, specifically adapted for gaming. It handles all the technical details through a simple GUI.
• Better than vanilla Steam/Proton: Lutris is designed specifically for running Windows games on Linux. It often has better compatibility and success rates than vanilla Steam Proton, especially for modded games like Vice City Next Edition.
• Bonus features: Built-in MangoHud integration (FPS counter, performance monitoring) with zero configuration needed - just tick a checkbox.

Bottom line: Lutris dramatically increases your chances of success. The same result (or better) with 10x less effort.

Quick Reference: Critical Settings

Setting	Value	Critical?
DXVK	Enabled	✓ Yes
d3d9 override	n (native)	✓ Yes
dsound override	None	✓ Yes (don't set!)
Wine/Proton	GE-Proton 9.xx or 10.xx	Recommended
V1.2.7 Patch	Not installed	Recommended

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Part 1: Setting Up Lutris and Wine/Proton

Step 1: Install ProtonUp-Qt

# Using yay
yay -S protonup-qt

# OR using paru
paru -S protonup-qt

# If you encounter dependency/build issues, use binary package:
yay -S protonup-qt-bin

Step 2: Configure ProtonUp-Qt

1. Launch protonup-qt
2. In "Install for:" dropdown, select Steam or Lutris
   • Both work fine - Lutris will find Steam-installed versions automatically
   • I personally use Steam location
3. Click "Add version"
4. Install these recommended versions:
   • Latest 9.xx version (e.g., GE-Proton 9-15)
   • Latest 10.xx version (e.g., GE-Proton 10-2)
   • These are similar but have minor differences that can matter for compatibility

Step 3: Install Lutris

sudo pacman -S lutris

Step 4: Initial Lutris Setup

1. Launch Lutris
2. It will auto-install dependencies (you'll see progress bar bottom-left)
   • This includes a special Lutris-patched Wine (separate from system Wine)
   • Installs to ~/.local/share/lutris/runners by default
3. Lutris will automatically detect your ProtonUp-Qt installed Proton versions
4. You may be prompted to install additional compatibility layers
   • Default: wine-ge-8
   • Optional: wine-10 for extra compatibility options

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Part 2: Installing the Game

Step 1: Prepare Installation Directory

# Create main game folder (choose location with enough space)
mkdir ~/gtavcne

# Create Wine prefix subfolder
mkdir ~/gtavcne/0_pfx

Step 2: Add Installer to Lutris

1. Click "+" button in Lutris → "Add locally installed game"
2. Configure installer entry:
   • Name: vcne-installer (or whatever you prefer)
   • Runner: Wine or Proton (doesn't matter which for installer)
     • Note: If you get graphic glitches/black/transparent window, try different Wine/Proton versions
3. Switch to "Game Options" tab:
   • Executable: Path to vcNE_setup.exe
   • Wine prefix: ~/gtavcne/0_pfx (recommended) or leave empty for default
4. Click "Save"

Step 3: Run Installation

1. Launch the installer from Lutris
2. Choose installation target: ~/gtavcne (or your chosen location)
3. Wait for unpacking to complete
   • If installer can't see your disk, install elsewhere then move the folder afterward

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Part 3: Configuring and Launching the Game

The Critical Configuration

Key requirement: Enable DXVK + override d3d9.dll to use the game's bundled version

Step 1: Add Game to Lutris

1. Click "+" → "Add locally installed game"
2. Configure game entry:

Game Info Tab:

• Name: GTA Vice City Next Edition (or whatever you prefer)

Game Options Tab:

• Runner: Wine
• Executable: ~/gtavcne/LaunchGTAIV.exe
• Wine prefix: ~/gtavcne/0_pfx

Runner Options Tab:

• Wine version: Select GE-Proton9-xx or GE-Proton10-xx
• Enable DXVK: ✓ Must be checked (should be ON by default)

System Options Tab:

• DLL overrides:
  1. Click "Add"
  2. Key: d3d9
  3. Value: n

This forces Wine to use the d3d9.dll inside the game folder, not Wine's builtin version

1. Click "Save"

Step 2: Launch the Game

1. Run the game from Lutris
2. Success indicators:
   • You should see "ENB series" splash screen
   • Initial cutscenes should render properly (not black)
   • Game graphics should display correctly

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Performance Optimization

Enable FPS Counter (MangoHud)

Lutris makes this incredibly easy - just tick a box:

1. Right-click your game in Lutris → Configure
2. Go to System Options tab
3. Find "Show MangoHud overlay" → ✓ Check it
4. Save and launch

For advanced customization, create/edit ~/.config/MangoHud/MangoHud.conf:

position=top-right
font_size=10
fps
frametime
cpu_temp
gpu_temp
cpu_power
gpu_power
gpu_load
cpu_load
ram
vram
background_alpha=0.0
alpha=0.3
frame_timing=1

This config shows FPS, frametimes, temperatures, power usage, and resource utilization with semi-transparent overlay.

Low FPS / Stuttering Issues

Symptoms: 25-35 FPS with severe stuttering (long frametimes), especially on:

• Laptops with NVIDIA GPUs below GTX 1000 series
• Older/mid-range hardware

Solutions (in order of priority):

1. Lower Shadow Quality ⚠️ CRITICAL

   • Shadows on this engine are extremely resource-intensive
   • Set to Medium or lower (even Medium provides huge improvement)
   • In-game settings: Graphics → Shadows → Medium

2. DO NOT install the V1.2.7 patch

   • The patch can actually worsen performance
   • If already installed, reinstall clean version

3. Lower Resolution

   • Try 1600x900 or 1280x720 if you're at 1920x1080
   • In-game settings: Graphics → Resolution

4. Other graphics settings:

   • Disable or lower: Reflection Quality, Water Quality
   • Keep Texture Quality high (doesn't impact FPS much)

Expected results after optimization: 45-60+ FPS with smooth frametimes

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