You Won’t Believe This: GTA IV Now Runs at Less Than 1GB
A Modding Experiment That Pushes Limits Again
A well-known modder has once again shocked the PC gaming community by compressing Grand Theft Auto IV to an unbelievable size. After previously shrinking Grand Theft Auto V to around 2GB, modder OptiJuegos has now reduced GTA IV to just 684MB. Despite the extreme cut, the game still runs and remains playable.
How GTA IV Was Reduced to Under 1GB
To achieve this result, OptiJuegos aggressively reduced the game’s asset size. He lowered texture quality to roughly 25 percent, which preserved basic visual clarity without turning the environment into unreadable shapes. Unlike the earlier GTA V experiment, this version avoids overly abstract visuals while keeping character models recognizable.
In addition, the modder removed large portions of the game’s content. Mission files, cutscenes, and most of the map data were stripped out. Only around 10 percent of Liberty City remains available, which allowed the file size to drop dramatically.
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What Still Works in the Compressed Build
Even with most content removed, the game still functions in surprising ways. Players can move Nico Bellic, enter vehicles, and interact with NPCs that continue to walk and react normally. Core systems such as basic physics, character control, and vehicle handling remain intact.
However, exploration comes with clear limits. Once Nico moves beyond the remaining rendered area, he immediately falls through the world. Because of this, the build works more as a technical showcase than a complete gameplay experience.
Why This Mod Matters
This experiment highlights how much data modern games dedicate to assets rather than core systems. It also demonstrates how flexible older open-world engines can be when heavily modified. While no one expects to play GTA IV like this seriously, the project proves that the game’s core logic requires far less storage than its original release suggests.
For modding enthusiasts and technical players, this project serves as a fascinating case study in extreme optimization.
A Reminder of GTA IV’s Legacy
Originally released in 2008, Grand Theft Auto IV tells the story of Nico Bellic, an immigrant chasing a better life in Liberty City. The game earned praise for its grounded tone, realistic physics, and mature storytelling. Today, players can still access it on PC via Steam and on modern Xbox consoles through backward compatibility.
Even years later, GTA IV continues to inspire experimentation that pushes technical boundaries in unexpected ways.
