7 must-have SAMP mods

A lot can be done on the server-side of San Andreas Multiplayer (SAMP), but there are some things you can only improve from your local PC. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 17-year-old game, and SAMP is based on the first version of it that was released. As a result, there are various bugs, compatibility issues, and graphical inconsistencies that don't hold up to modern standards.

Thankfully, due to San Andreas' vibrant community, there are dozens of mods that add new models, introduce graphical upgrades, fix bugs, and more. But with over a thousand mods available for the game, how do you choose which to install, and know which are compatible with SAMP and which will get you banned? Here are seven must-have SAMP mods that should work flawlessly with your install:

Silent's ASI Loader

Silent's ASI Loader isn't flashy, but it's what allows many of the other mods in the list to work. Its .dll file enables ASI plugin functionality for San Andreas and incorporates an .ini file that can be used to toggle plugin loading on or off.

ASI loader is lightweight, can be configured to use different mods on different game executables, and is compatible with old and new steam executables.

Silent Patch

Silent Patch is an essential mod for San Andreas that fixes many bugs and issues across 1.0, Steam, and Rockstar Launcher versions of the game. Many of the changes it makes represent huge quality of life improvements and narrow the gap between the 1.0 and other versions of the game. Here are some of the most significant fixes:

• Removes the 14ms frame delay, allowing the game to lock properly to 30 FPS instead of 25 fps
• Prevents the mouse from locking up on newer systems when exiting the menu
• Allows 16:9 resolutions to be selected
• Removes the DirectPlay dependency, which improves compatibility with Windows 8+
• Fixes wet road reflections
• Removes graphical artifacts on high RAM usage
• Allows the cleaning of dirty cars
• Gives each car a unique number plate
• Increases the number of indoor lights on each model from 4 to 6 on high settings, improving lighting fidelity
• Fixes dozens of game-breaking and minor bugs

Mod Loader

Most who have done any form of modding will know what a mod loader is. Mod Loader for San Andreas, GTA III, and Vice City lets you install mods in a user-friendly way and, vitally, ensures no changes are made to your core game files – instead, mods are injected at runtime. This lets users easily uninstall mods that they don't want anymore.

Mod Loader also provides an in-game menu for configuration, instant mod swapping with no restarts, and allows you to isolate sets of mods from others with profiles.

Widescreen Fixes

Though Silent Patch enables widescreen resolutions, the default implementation in San Andreas is far from ideal. UI elements get stretched, the fov is too narrow, and things generally look "off".

Widescreen fixes by thirteenag and Wesser address this. They do away with the "anamorphic widescreen" effect seen in base SAMP, which caps the vertical and horizontal FOV at 70 and 55 degrees and fails to properly support 16:9 aspect ratios.

Remastered GUI

Remastered GUI by Ash_735 ports the UI textures from the mobile game into the PC version of the game, providing a clearer experience at higher resolutions. It's best used with Wesser's widescreen fixes.

ENBSeries Shaders

The ENBSeries by Boris Voronstov is renowned for dramatically improving the lighting in many games. In SAMP, it adds modern effects like SSAO, per-pixel car reflections, depth of field, shadow blurring, and more.

Though installing ENBSeries won't make your game look like GTA V, it'll certainly get it a lot closer than it was before. For it to work properly with SAMP, however, you'll also want to install the SAMP graphic restore mod, which fixes incompatibilities.  

GInput

Due to San Andreas' age, its support for modern controllers on PC is limited. The GInput mod adds complete XInput support to the game, supporting correct mapping (when compared to the console version),  full vibration support, and more.

If you prefer to play SAMP with a controller, this mod will greatly increase your quality of life and extend the types of controller you can use with the game.