Updated: April 11, 2023
GTA: Vice City is one of my favorite games. Evar. But I've been unable to play it since I moved my Windows systems to Windows 10. For some reason, the title simply refuses to run under this operating system. For a few years, I've been left without the ability to cruise around and listen to Emotion 98.3. Now, I can, again.
How? Linux, that's how! Steam, Proton. Amazeballs. I'm a man on a mission. By 2025, I'd like to be able to fully migrate away from Windows. Why? Because I don't want to use Windows 11, it's pointless. This means my Linux game [sic] needs to be strong, and I've embarked on this quest a while back. Most recently, I got meself a rather capable new, gaming-intended laptop, Slimbook Titan, with an Nvidia RTX 3070 card, and I'm deeply invested in getting all of my favorite titles running in Linux (Kubuntu to be more precise). This wee article tells of my success story on this front. After me.
How to set up and run GTA: Vice City under Linux
Here's what you need to do. Install Steam in your Linux distro. Enable the Proton (experimental) layer for all titles. Restart Steam. Install GTA: Vice City. That's it! Bob's your uncle. But wait. There are still a few small things you can or need to do to enjoy the best possible experience.
- Display resolution - you can adjust it using the arrow keys. You cannot change the resolution using the mouse, but GTA: Vice City will correctly display under very high resolutions. In my case, 2560x1440x32. Jolly.
- Game saves - if you recall my GTA & Steam article, you will need to convert old game saves into the new Steam format. The conversion tool also works under WINE, if you need it. Once you do this, you can then copy the save files into the Linux machine Vice City installation, and enjoy yourself.
Import old game saves
Steam keeps the Vice City save files (with the .b suffix) here:
/home/[USER]/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/[NUMBER]/pfx/drive_c/ ->
-> users/steamuser/Documents
- Remove the arrow symbol - it merely breaks the output into two lines - so it reads: drive_c/users/...
- Replace [USER] with your user in Linux, e.g.: dedo, johnny.
- Replace [NUMBER] with the game ID. For GTA: Vice City, this is 12110. You can always check the PCGaming Wiki for more details about any game you need. Just a general pointer. Put the .b files inside.
Conclusion
Typically, Windows gaming is way ahead of Linux, pretty much universally (fo' now). With this oldie goldie, it's the opposite. You can now have a better GTA: Vice City experience using Proton than you can natively in Windows 10. For me, as it stands today, I'm unable to play this legendary title in Windows. But I can Tony Montoya the living daylights out of Vice City.
You also have the option of porting in your old saves. This takes a bit of work, as you will need to convert them first, and then copy them into the right folder. But then, if you've made a profitable career as an aspiring Vice City businessman, you don't want to lose all that progress. Anyway, time to listen to some 80s classics and bask in nostalgia. See you out there. More gaming-focused articles coming soon.
Cheers.