Liberty Pro Max

Grand Theft Auto IV (PC 1.0.8.0) running natively on Apple silicon Macs and iPads, and on Apple TV.

Liberty Pro Max is a native port of the PC version of GTA IV to Mac and iPad (and, experimentally, Apple TV), made by statically recompiling the game's own x86 code with x86recomp. The executable is translated to C++ and compiled for Apple silicon, so the game runs as it does on Windows, with no Wine, no emulation and no virtual machine. Only the platform underneath is new, and it is built for Apple's devices: a Metal renderer, a real-time audio mixer, a launcher with all of the port's options, Game Mode, ultrawide screens on the Mac.

This repository contains no part of the game. You build it on your own Mac from your own copy of GTA IV, for the Mac and, if you like, your iPad.

Beta. The story can be played from a save and around the city on both. Expect rough edges, and please report what you find.

What you get

	Mac	iPad
Renderer	Metal, written for this port: drawing encoded on its own thread, geometry read in place from the game's memory, several frames in flight	the same
Frame rate	about 125 fps indoors, 60–100 fps outdoors at 3440×1440, maximum settings, M3 Pro; no 30/60 fps cap	60 fps indoors, 45–60 outdoors at 1792×1344, iPad Air (M4)
Anti-aliasing	TAA (default, sharpened), SMAA, MetalFX temporal and SMAA + MetalFX spatial upscaling	SMAA (default), TAA
Screens	any resolution, ultrawide included, field of view, full screen as a macOS Space with Game Mode	1536×1152 to 2732×2048, field of view
Launcher	a window with all options before the game	a settings screen with all options and Play; the icon is the game's own IV
Fixes built in	about 100 fixes from FusionFix and ZolikaPatch (high frame rate physics, cameras, timers, lights, mirrors, water), each a switch in the launcher	the same
Extras	the original 2008 radio songs (with the Radio Restoration mod), stun punch and executions on anyone, fast loading	the same
Controls	keyboard and mouse, controllers	controllers, keyboard (no touch controls)

Speed

Measured on an M3 Pro at 3440×1440, maximum settings, on the same street:

Stage	fps
First build, generic SDL GPU renderer	20–52
Own Metal renderer	34–88
Native SSE math, host CRT math, PGO, ThinLTO	71–83
Physics and job threads helped by the main thread, 397 hot functions translated to plain C++	about 90 on average

Fixes and options

On the launcher's General tab: resolution and display, anti-aliasing (TAA, SMAA, MetalFX), shadow and reflection resolution, field of view, fast loading, skipping the logo screens, continuing the last save, the original radio songs, the performance overlay. On the Advanced tab, every fix below, each a switch. Most follow FusionFix's and ZolikaPatch's (by what they do; their code is not used), some are this port's own.

All fixes and options

114 switches and choices in the launcher (Advanced tab; the iPad has them on its settings screen). Each one is also an environment variable, GTAIV_ and the name in capitals in src/launcher_options.h.

High frame rates

The game was made for 30 fps; these keep it right at any frame rate.

Option	Default
Ladders: no stalls before climbing at high frame rates	on
No speed-up above 300 fps	on
Vehicle and ragdoll physics steady at high frame rates	on
Scripted doors and gates move at the right speed	on
Camera shake as strong at any frame rate	on
Helicopter rotors break as easily at any frame rate	on
Loading screen pictures move at console speed	on
30 fps in pool, air hockey, arm wrestling, bowling, drinking	on
Radar moves smoothly at high frame rates	on
Bonnet camera sway smooth at high frame rates	on
Final mission: helicopter climb not harder at high frame rates	on
Cutscene animations smooth and in sync with their audio	on
No water flicker (buffers swapped in step with rendering)	on

Cameras

Option	Default
No forced camera centring at the edge of cover	on
Camera shake (hand-held, drunk, vehicles)	on
Cutscene cameras without zoom fits and flicker at cuts	on
Car camera swings back faster with keyboard and mouse	on
Cinematic camera when vaulting walls and jacking cars	on
Cinematic camera and slow motion on stunt jumps	on
On foot, the camera waits 2 s after the mouse before recentring	on
Car camera centred behind the car	off
On-foot camera centred behind Niko	off
On foot with a gamepad: camera waits 2 s before recentring	off
In vehicles: camera waits 2 s before recentring	off
Aiming zoom remembered between aims (as on Xbox)	off
First-person helicopter reticle with a gamepad	on
Stunt jumps: mouse wheel sets the slow motion	on
Video editor: free camera without bounds	on
Drive-by shots land in the crosshair when high up	on
No motion blur flicker while the camera shakes (drunk)	on

Wide screens and the interface

Option	Default
Pause menu map fits wide screens	on
Cutscenes framed 16:9 with side bars on wide screens	on
In-game internet and police computer fit wide screens	on
Mouse cursor scaled to the screen	on
Menu cursor hidden while playing with a gamepad	on
Target health on the reticle with the mouse	on
Radar stays zoomed out for 3 seconds	on
Pause menu opens and closes without delay	on
Right click goes back in menus	on
Pause menu: version, IMG files and streaming memory	off
Pause menu time and money spaced as on consoles	on
Menu lists show 32 rows before scrolling	on

FusionFix's shaders

Need FusionFix's update folder in the game folder.

Option	Default
Use FusionFix's mission and model fixes if installed (update folder)	on
FusionFix shaders: tone mapping (highlights not clipped)	off
FusionFix shaders: bloom keeps its colour with tone mapping	on
FusionFix shaders: exposure adapts as on consoles	on
FusionFix shaders: definition (sharper image)	on
FusionFix shaders: unclamped sunlight	off
FusionFix shaders: smooth shorelines	on
FusionFix shaders: smooth light volumes	on
FusionFix shaders: cascaded shadow fixes (atlas, ranges)	on
FusionFix shaders: high resolution cascaded shadows (heavy)	off
FusionFix shaders: volumetric fog	off
Shadow filter: Sharp, Soft, Contact hardening	Sharp
Tree lighting: PC, PC+, Console	PC+
Tree leaves: PC, PC+, Console	PC

Lights, shadows and effects

Option	Default
Distant city lights as on consoles (from 7 pm, street level)	on
Reflections and car dirt as on consoles	on
Mirrors show decals near them	on
Water surface tiling as on consoles	on
No flickering lights where there are many (corona limit 768 -> 49152)	on
Reversing lights at the back of the car	on
Rain lit as on consoles (visible at night)	on
Police helicopter searchlights do not flicker	on
Night shadows setting sets their sharpness	on
Brake lights stay on while your car stands	off
Bloom (glow around bright lights)	on
Depth of field blur	on
Motion blur: Off, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, Full	1/4
Vehicles cast shadows from street lights (needs FusionFix shaders)	on
Glowing lights and signs without depth artifacts	on
Every light casts moving shadows (very slow)	off
Shadow under cars at any distance	on
No shadow patch under cars	off
No shadow patch under cars in cutscenes	off
High detail reflections (heavy for the GPU)	off
Red and amber glass from broken tail lights and indicators	on
Tracer on every shot	off
TBoGT: tracers drawn in the right place	on
Trees and bushes cast real shadows (needs FusionFix shaders)	on
Turn indicators when steering, hazard lights after a crash	off
Turn indicators by hand: [ and ] or bumpers, both for hazards	off

Gameplay

Option	Default
Weapon recoil with the mouse as with a gamepad	on
Niko takes full damage (the game gives him a third of it)	on
Health from a save at most a full bar (trainer saves)	on
Saving from the phone works in vehicles	on
Radio keeps playing after cutscenes	on
Cars do not swerve under trains	on
Date does not go back after dying or arrest	on
Helicopters fly up to 770 m (as in TBoGT)	off
Cops take off their hats in vehicles (as on consoles)	on
No double death animation after a melee counter	on
Bikes: feet down when stopped on the phone and when reversing	on
Walk while zoomed in with a sniper rifle	on
Climb ladders by walking into them	off
Death and arrest music (cut on PC)	off
Cars roll to a stop instead of freezing (costs CPU)	off
Parked vehicles keep their wheels turned	off
Always run (tap sprint: run or jog, hold: sprint)	off
Sniper rifles aim over the shoulder; Jump toggles the scope	off
Distant traffic on every road at any height	on
Phone cheats: beta gloves (458-555-0100), beta hair (288-555-0100)	on
Missions play the alternative car banter	off

Limits, streaming and stability

Option	Default
Draw distance settings apply from the start (costs fps)	off
Twice the vehicle budget (no streets full of taxis)	on
Bigger task and pointer pools	on
No crash in "In the Crosshairs" at long draw distance	on
Streaming not held back by the memory budget	on
Extra streaming memory while there is room	off
No script crash comparing missing strings (TLAD calls)	on
Game errors only to the log, no error box (may crash later)	off
No crash aiming thrown weapons with a ped that has no pad	on

Mac, iPad and Apple TV

Option	Default
Saves synced with your iPad and Apple TV at start and quit (needs Xcode)	on
Keep running when the window is not in front	off

Not yet here from FusionFix: its ambient occlusion (SAO), console gamma, HDR output, depth effects through transparent surfaces (pre-alpha depth), MSAA in reflections, gamepad button icons, camera sensitivity ranges and ragdoll on demand. The episodes' content in IV (episodic vehicles and weapons) waits for the episodes. On a Mac FusionFix's raw input, keyboard lighting, graphics API choice and plugin loaders have nothing to do.

What you need

• GTA IV for PC, version 1.0.8.0: the folder with GTAIV.exe (SHA-256 3d90e7c516fa450ca002e5031e62c0f66b404590f33e6cc9793b0da4fffbfd0f) and the game's data next to it (pc/, common/, …). The Steam Complete Edition (1.2.0.x) is not supported as it is; the community GTA Downgraders turn it into 1.0.8.0.
• A Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer), macOS 14 or newer, with the Xcode Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install) and Homebrew; about 6 GB free for the build. The Mac builds both versions.
• For the iPad, also:
  • an iPad with an M-series chip, iPadOS 17 or newer, in Developer Mode and connected to the Mac by cable, with about 16 GB free;
  • full Xcode with a paid Apple developer account signed in (Xcode › Settings › Accounts): the app needs the Extended Virtual Addressing and Increased Memory Limit capabilities, which free accounts do not have;
  • a controller or a keyboard.
• For the Apple TV (experimental): an Apple TV 4K (3rd generation, A15) with tvOS 17 or newer, paired with Xcode (Window › Devices and Simulators) and in Developer Mode, on Ethernet (the game's 15 GB go over the network), about 16 GB free; the same paid account; a controller.

Install

Mac, without the Terminal: Liberty Pro Max Builder

Download Liberty Pro Max Builder from the releases, open it (the first time: right-click it, Open), and:

1. drop your Grand Theft Auto IV folder (or GTAIV.exe) on it;
2. if asked, install Apple's Command Line Tools with its button (free);
3. optionally drop the Radio Restoration mod as downloaded, for the original 2008 radio songs;
4. press Build Liberty Pro Max.

About 5 to 20 minutes later Liberty Pro Max is in Applications. No Homebrew and nothing else to install: the Builder carries everything that is not the game's code (the runtime, its libraries, the translator) and compiles only what it translates from your own GTAIV.exe, with Apple's compiler. builder/make_builder.sh makes it.

Mac, from the Terminal

git clone https://github.com/Awis13/liberty-pro-max
cd liberty-pro-max
./install.sh "/path/to/Grand Theft Auto IV"

install.sh installs the build tools from Homebrew, fetches the pinned x86recomp, checks your GTAIV.exe, translates the game's code, builds, and puts Liberty Pro Max in /Applications. The first run takes about 15 minutes on an M-series Mac. Run it again after git pull to update.

Then open Liberty Pro Max, pick the game folder in the launcher, and press Play. Saves and settings are kept in ~/Library/Application Support/gtaiv; the game's log is ~/Library/Logs/gtaiv.log.

iPad

After the Mac install (the iPad build uses the game's code it translated), with the iPad connected:

./install-ios.sh YOUR_TEAM_ID

install-ios.sh builds the iPad's libraries (SDL3, FFmpeg, glslang, SPIRV-Cross), makes a signing profile with those capabilities, builds the app with its icon and installs it, then copies the game's files (15 GB) into it over the cable, and the restored radio songs if you imported them on the Mac. The first run takes about 40 minutes.

Then open Liberty Pro Max on the iPad, check the settings, press Play. The defaults are 1792×1344 with SMAA at 60 fps; the game's own graphics menu decides the rest: lower its view and detail distance if busy streets drop below 60. The game's log is log.txt in the app's Documents (Files › On My iPad, or devicectl).

Apple TV (experimental)

After the Mac install, with the Apple TV paired:

./install-ios.sh --tv YOUR_TEAM_ID

The same steps as for the iPad, built for tvOS. The app has no settings screen: it starts the game at 1920×1080 with SMAA at 60 fps. The A15 cannot sample the game's DXT textures, so they are decoded on upload and take several times their size: keep the game's texture quality at its default, or the Apple TV's 2.1 GB per app runs out. The log is log.txt in the app's Library/Caches (devicectl).

Saves on every device

With iCloud Drive on, the iPad keeps a copy of every save in its iCloud folder (Liberty Pro Max in iCloud Drive) and the Mac uses the same folder: each device takes the newer saves when the game starts and sends its own while it runs and when it quits. Per save the newer one wins; the one it replaces, on either side, is kept in that folder's Backups. install-ios.sh turns on iCloud for the app (its signing profile then needs your Apple ID signed in to Xcode). The Apple TV has no iCloud Drive: the Mac copies its saves to and from it at start and quit, over the cable or the network, when Xcode is installed. The launcher's "Saves synced" option turns both off.

Recommended (Mac)

Put a commandline.txt with -norestrictions -availablevidmem 2047 in the game folder to unlock the highest graphics settings. (The iPad's launcher passes both itself.)

Original radio songs

The 2018 update removed many songs from the radio. Download the Radio Restoration mod by Tomasak / Fusion Team, unpack it, then:

GTAIV_RADIO_SRC=/path/to/unpacked/mod tools/radio_import.sh

and turn on Original 2008 radio songs in the launcher. Your game folder is not changed. Import it before install-ios.sh to have the songs on the iPad too.

Build by hand

brew install cmake ninja sdl3 ffmpeg llvm@22 glslang spirv-cross python
git clone --branch liberty https://github.com/Awis13/x86recomp vendor/x86recomp
git -C vendor/x86recomp checkout "$(cut -d' ' -f2 X86RECOMP)"
export GTAIV_GAME_DIR="/path/to/Grand Theft Auto IV"

cmake --preset release && cmake --build --preset release   # the lifter and runtime
tools/lift.sh                                              # the game's code to C++ (generated/)
cmake --preset release && cmake --build --preset release   # the game

The app is out/build/release/Liberty Pro Max.app; the plain executable, out/build/release/gtaiv --game-dir "$GTAIV_GAME_DIR", starts without the launcher.

For the iPad, after that: tools/apple_deps.sh, cmake --preset iphoneos && cmake --build --preset iphoneos, then tools/ios_profile.sh, tools/make_ios_icon.py, tools/ios_bundle.sh <device> and tools/ios_push_game.py (each script says what it takes; install-ios.sh runs them in order).

For the Apple TV, the same with PLATFORMS=tvos tools/apple_deps.sh, the preset appletvos and PLATFORM=tvos for tools/ios_profile.sh and tools/ios_bundle.sh.

How it works

• symbols/ holds the addresses and names of the game's functions (exported from Ghidra), and manifest/gtaiv.manifest lists this port's changes to the game. The lifter reads both and writes the game's code as C++ into generated/, which is never committed.
• manifest/native.list names the hottest functions; tools/x86n.py translates them from your GTAIV.exe into plain C++ (registers as local variables, flags only where read) for speed.
• src/ is the port: the game's settings and fixes, the launcher, the protection layer and Games for Windows Live answered offline, thread priorities, and the FusionFix and ZolikaPatch fixes.
• src/launcher_mac.mm and src/launcher_ios.mm are the two launchers; src/launcher_options.h the options they share.
• The Metal renderer, audio and Windows layer live in x86recomp, on the liberty branch pinned in X86RECOMP.

Known limits

• Mac, iPad and (experimental) Apple TV for now. Linux and the Steam Deck are planned.
• Apple TV: no settings screen and no icon yet; high texture quality does not fit its memory (DXT decoded on upload).
• iPad: no touch controls; busy streets need the game's distances lowered for a steady 60 fps.
• Multiplayer is not available.
• MetalFX temporal upscaling costs about 5 ms a frame at 3440×1440 output, more than it saves in this game; TAA at native resolution is the default.
• A few seconds of stutter right after loading, while the city streams in.

Credits

• x86recomp, the static recompiler this port is built on.
• FusionFix by ThirteenAG and contributors, and ZolikaPatch by Zolika1351: the fixes ported here follow theirs.
• WidescreenFixesPack by ThirteenAG (the ultrawide fix).
• XLivelessAddon and the GTA modding community, for how the PC version's launcher checks work.
• The Radio Restoration mod and GTA Downgraders by Tomasak / Fusion Team.

Grand Theft Auto IV is a trademark of Take-Two Interactive Software. This project is not affiliated with or endorsed by Rockstar Games or Take-Two.

License

GPL-3.0 (see LICENSE), as several fixes follow FusionFix's code.