Grand Theft Auto IV PC patch detailed

Rockstar has detailed the first patch for the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV, which gamers are no doubt hoping will make the game smoother and less horribly broken.

Unfortunately for PC users though, the change list for the patch reveals only a small number of tweaks to the game and likely nowhere near enough to placate PC users who paid for the game.

The PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV was met with scorn when it was released earlier this month thanks to an invasive use of authentication systems in the form of Rockstar Social Club and Games for Windows Live, both of which need to be running if you want to save the game. On top of that many players reported frequent crashes and our own testing revealed that the game was massively demanding on even high-end systems.

Rockstar meanwhile has maintained that only a small number of users experience problems, only now releasing the first patch to the game. Check out the change log below.

• A fix to the crash after legal screen that some German customers were reporting.
  
• Numerous improvements to the video editor: Smarter naming of videos, improved rendering quality, better fx during replays
  
• Fix to bowling while using certain sensitive mice
  
• Fix for ATI 1900 shadows
  
• Overall savings to memory
  
• Graphic improvements to particle systems and mirrors
  
• Multiplayer character settings are preserved
  
• Support for DirectInput controllers. Note: The current hack way of supporting these controllers may not work with the improved functionality. So we recommend you remove the hack before upgrading to the patch.

So, yeah, not exactly the array of crash-fixes most gamers are probably hoping for. Nvidia users meanwhile can try using the latest set of optimised drivers for the game, which Rockstar hopes will improve performance.

You can read our own Grand Theft Auto IV PC review for more information on the game, or just let us know what you think in the forums.