[GameSpot] - The Best GTA 5 Mods And How To Download Them

[343iBot]

Since GTA V's initial release way back in 2013, thousands and thousands of mods have been created for it. The modding community is one of the most passionate in gaming and the same applies when it comes to any Rockstar Games creation. However, seeing as GTA V is the studio's most successful release to date, it makes sense why GTA V would have the most mod support around it.

The one issue many players have with mods is learning how to actually download and install them so they work in-game. The process can be confusing for players who might not be the most tech-savvy. Also, there's the challenge of figuring out which mods to install in 2022, a full nine years after the game was originally released. Below, players can see exactly how to download mods in GTA V and which ones they should consider installing first.

Downloading mods in GTA V

Before players can get into which mods they should install, they need to know how to download them. It should be noted that players can only use mods in single-player, as Rockstar Games had forbidden the use of mods in GTA Online. If players attempt to enter GTA Online with mods enabled, they're subject to a ban.

There are several steps to downloading mods in GTA V. The first section of the process is laid out below.

1. Visit OpenIV.com and press the green Download Now button on the homepage
2. Open the download from your browser and follow the installation steps the application lays out
3. After the installation steps are complete, launch OpenIV and select Windows from the Grand Theft Auto V box
4. Enter the file path for the game directory of GTA V (should look like: C:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Grand Theft Auto V\)
5. Press Continue and then press the Tools box on the top taskbar of OpenIV
6. Select ASI Manager and install ASI Loader and OpenIV.ASI. Select Yes when prompted

What this process essentially does is give players a place to download and manage their GTA V mods. Players can open the OpenIV application at any time to check the status of their mods, uninstall them, or modify them. The next part of the process is finding physical mods to download.

1. Visit GTA5-mods.com
2. Choose a mod to download. You can select a certain category of mods from the top taskbar of the website and then sort from most recent to most popular mods within that category
3. Once a mod has been selected, click on its box and then press the green Download button
4. Some mods will download a .rar file to your browser while others will redirect you to a Github page with the mod's latest version to download
5. If a mod downloads as a .rar file, you will need another application to open it, such as 7-Zip File Manager, which can be downloaded on the Microsoft Store
6. Once the .rar file is opened, you will likely see a ReadMe file that can be opened in Notepad. This will give you instructions on how to fully download the mod
7. If a mod is on a Github page, download the latest version. This will download the mod as a zipped file, which you need to extract into another location on your computer
8. Once the files are extracted, copy and paste the contents of the folder into the Mods folder of your computer's GTA V game directory. This is the same directory that you entered into the file path for the OpenIV application
9. Launch GTA V once you've copied and pasted the file contents into the GTA V directory or followed the instructions for the .rar file

While this process covers the general mods that are available to download, there are also mods that use scripts. This requires another mod, Script Hook, to be able to work.

1. Download Community Script Hook V .NET, by Alexander Blade
2. Open up the zipped file and extract the contents into another location on your computer
3. Copy and paste the file contents into the game directory of GTA V, but don't place them in a certain folder
4. Create a new folder in the game directory
5. Go to GTA5-mods.com and select a script mod to download (these are usually tagged with .net)
6. Open up the zipped file of the mod and extract the contents once again
7. Copy and paste the contents of the file into the new folder of your GTA V directory
8. Launch GTA V and make sure to follow the directions for using the mod from the creator, which can be found on the GTA5-mods.com page for the mod

Once all of those steps are completed, players can start to freely use mods in GTA V.

Best mods in GTA V

When looking for mods to download, the choices can be almost overwhelming. There are several categories and thousands of mods to pick within each one of those categories. While every player's desires for their mod experience will be different, we've compiled a top-five list of the best GTA V mods as of 2022.

VisualV

Image courtesy of VisualV Mod

The first mod on the list is one that correlates nicely with the recent release of GTA V on the next-gen consoles. VisualV is a graphical mod that improves many of the textures in GTA V. The world of Los Santos looks stunningly realistic, with the weather, draw distance, and many other graphical features all being greatly improved. The one aspect to remember with a mod like this it takes a powerful machine to run. Players with older PC hardware should be wary about what this mod could do to their in-game frame rate.

Players can download VisualV on GTA5-mods.com.

Thanos Mod/Iron Man Mark V

Image courtesy of nsh3t on GTA5-mods.com

We've decided to combine two of the best Marvel mods for GTA V. The Thanos mod does exactly what it sounds like; players can walk around the city of Los Santos as Thanos, the main villain from Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Playing as Thanos, players can jump extremely far distances, use the powers of the Infinity Gauntlet, and even shoot lasers from their eyes.

If players don't want to play as a villain, they can instead download the Iron Man Mark V mod. This gives players the Iron Man suit of armor, with the updated design and color scheme. The armor lets players fly around the map like Iron Man and use multiple weapons, such as the missile launcher and machine gun.

Players can download the Thanos mod and Iron Man Mark V from GTA5-mods.com.

Pokémon Go GTA Edition

Image courtesy of LudicrousBeach on GTA5-mods.com

Combining the world of Pokémon and GTA seems too good to be true, but it's not, thanks to the Pokémon Go GTA Edition mod. This mod is precisely what players would imagine. Pokémon litter the streets of Los Santos and players can attempt to catch them using Poké Balls. Players are even decked out in the clothes Ash wears in the Pokémon anime. The Pokémon Go mod has most of the features players have come to know from the actual game but combines some GTA flare along with it.

Players can download the Pokémon Go mod from GTA5-mods.com.

LSPD First Response

Players spend a majority of their time in Los Santos trying to avoid cops. However, with the LSPDFR mod, players can be on the other side of the law. This mod allows players to step into the shoes of a police officer in Los Santos. Players are given access to a weapon, a partner, and a fully interactable police station. With these tools, players can stop and arrest lawbreakers.

Players can download LSPD First Response on LCPDFR.com.

GTA V R.E.A.L. Mod

The last mod on this list is something that not every player will get to experience. The R.E.A.L. VR mod allows players to throw on a virtual reality headset and step into the world of Los Santos with a true first-person view. Everything that can be done in the base GTA V story mode can now be done with a VR headset. While the controls and viewing angles are a bit wonky, the overall experience is smooth and completely changes how GTA V is played.

Players can download the GTA V R.E.A.L. mod through the creator's Github page.

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