Massive GTA 5 Mod Cuts Install Size to 2.5GB by Removing Core Content

Grand Theft Auto 5 stands as one of gaming's most content-rich open worlds, but its 120GB install size creates storage headaches for players with limited drive space. A newly demonstrated mod tackles this problem through extreme measures: It brutally pares down the game to a mere 2.5GB – smaller than many mobile games – by surgically removing vast portions of the game's core content. This reduction comes at a catastrophic cost to the gameplay experience, transforming Rockstar's meticulously crafted world into a hollow shell reminiscent of early PlayStation 2 prototypes.

The mod, showcased by creator Synth Potato, achieves its drastic size reduction through aggressive asset removal rather than compression techniques. According to analysis of the demonstration:

• Mission Content: Over 75% of story missions were excised, leaving fragmented narrative threads and broken progression systems
• Map Geometry: Entire districts like Vinewood Hills and industrial zones were stripped, creating invisible walls and navigation dead-ends
• Audio Assets: Ambient dialogue, radio stations, and vehicle sounds were eliminated, resulting in eerie silence punctuated by placeholder effects
• Visual Fidelity: Texture resolution was downgraded to sub-480p levels, with advanced lighting, particle effects, and weather systems completely disabled

The modded version (right) loses all visual detail compared to the original (left), resembling early 3D prototypes

The resulting experience barely qualifies as playable. Pedestrians and traffic spawn erratically, missions fail to trigger properly, and the world lacks interactivity. As Synth Potato noted in their demonstration, this version serves purely as a technical curiosity for extreme storage optimization scenarios – not a viable way to experience the game.

For developers, the mod reveals fascinating insights about asset allocation in modern games. GTA 5's bulk comes from high-fidelity textures (40GB), uncompressed audio (35GB), and diverse world-building assets (45GB). By surgically removing non-essential elements – street details, interior spaces, background NPCs – the modder demonstrated how much content exists purely for atmospheric immersion rather than core functionality.

The full GTA series offers vastly richer experiences than the stripped-down mod

Currently unavailable for public download, the mod raises practical questions about preservation and accessibility. Players on budget hardware or low-storage devices like Steam Deck could theoretically benefit from such extreme size reductions, but the trade-offs make it impractical. As Rockstar Games continues supporting GTA 5 with updates, the mod's compatibility would likely break with each patch. For now, this remains a fascinating technical achievement that underscores how much modern games rely on expansive assets – and how little remains when you strip them away.