A fan modification reduces GTA V to 2.5 GB in size. For this, the author cut out some of the content and drastically simplified the graphics, so the game starts, but works with performance drops.
A fan modification reduces GTA V to 2.5 GB in size. For this, the author cut out some of the content and drastically simplified the graphics, so the game starts, but works with performance drops.
According to Notebookcheck, an enthusiast named Synth Potato has posted a video showing the results of a modification that reduces the GTA V installation from the usual 100+ GB to 2.5 GB. The author achieved this by radically cutting resources: part of the map was removed, some missions and audio files were also not included in the build. As a result, flat textures appear, objects fall through, animations are torn, and the frame rate in scenes sometimes drops to single digits.
Modders have managed to compress GTA 5 from 120GB down to 2.5GB
— Synth Potato🥔 (@SynthPotato) February 14, 2026
It required removing missions, audio, maps and more, somehow the game still functions despite all the cuts and is the most ultra lightweight version of GTA 5 to date pic.twitter.com/O0Oj5ImlgX
Despite the degradation of the image, the video shows that the basic mechanics remain: the player can drive around the city, shoot heavy weapons, and perform certain activities such as skydiving. At the same time, control is complicated by lags and delays, so even simple maneuvers can end in accidents.
The article also mentions that for GTA V Enhanced, the recommended requirements include 105 GB of space on a drive with DirectStorage support. Some users run the game from an HDD, but an NVMe SSD usually reduces loading and long loading screens. Deep mods are almost impossible on consoles, as Rockstar blocks such changes.
The author of the article links the interest in game compression to the rising cost of storage amid demand from data centers for AI. The publication also mentions a Sony patent describing a cloud-based approach that could reduce game sizes without adding latency, as a potential direction for future releases like GTA VI.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how in December, GTA Online released the A Safehouse in the Hills update, which brought the iconic GTA V hero Michael de Santo to online mode for the first time and added elite estates with new mechanics to the game.
