ReShade is an extremely powerful and popular modding tool that allows players to apply post-processing graphical effects and shaders to enhance the visuals of games. With over 300 effects available through ReShade, gamers can make their games look sharper, more atmospheric, cinematic, and visually impressive by adding ambient occlusion, depth of field, color correction, anti-aliasing, and much more.
However, many FiveM users have encountered frustrating issues getting ReShade working properly. You may see cryptic errors like "ReShade not supported" or find that it crashes your game on launch.
Not to worry – as a modding expert with over 5 years experience enhancing games like GTA 5, I‘m here to guide you through all the potential causes and fixes to get ReShade working flawlessly with FiveM.
Why ReShade has Compatibility Issues with FiveM
Through testing and troubleshooting countless modding issues over the years, I‘ve narrowed down the key technical reasons why you may face difficulties getting ReShade operational on FiveM:
Outdated Version of ReShade
For peak compatibility with FiveM, you need ReShade version 4.0.3 or higher installed. Older legacy versions like 3.0 simply won‘t work properly with the newer FiveM architectures. I‘d recommend always downloading the latest 4.X.X version directly from the official ReShade site to stay up to date.
Wrong Install Location
By default, ReShade gets installed to your GTA V directory. However, for FiveM you need to install it to the specific FiveM application data folder located at:
%localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data\
If you don‘t install it here, FiveM won‘t be able to detect and initialize ReShade correctly on boot up.
Missing Critical ReShade Files
In order for ReShade to work its magic, you need to have the correct .dll files like dxgi.dll and reshade64.dll (for 64-bit systems) present in your FiveM installation folder. If any of them are missing or corrupted, it can lead to instability or failure on startup.
Incompatible Graphics APIs
Here‘s a bit of tech jargon for you. FiveM uses DirectX 11 graphics by default while ReShade 4.0+ requires the newer DirectX 10 or 12 APIs. This mismatch between ReShade expecting a different graphics environment can prevent it from hooking and injecting properly.
Mod Conflicts
As an avid modder, I‘ve learned that some mods or files present in your FiveM installation can clash with ReShade‘s injections and cause instability. For example, certain ENB files are known to create conflicts.
Now that we‘ve diagnosed the potential issues, let‘s move on to the step-by-step optimized guide to properly install ReShade with FiveM.
How to Fix ReShade Not Working on FiveM
Follow these expert tips to successfully install ReShade on FiveM and get it working smoothly:
Step 1: Download Latest ReShade Version
Always start by grabbing the newest 4.X.X version of ReShade from the official site at reshade.me. Make sure to choose the right 32-bit or 64-bit installer for your Windows system. Avoid any older 3.X.X versions for best results!
Step 2: Install ReShade to FiveM‘s Data Folder
Once downloaded, run the ReShade installer. Now browse to and select the FiveM application data folder as your installation directory. The default location is:
%localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data\
If prompted by ReShade‘s installer, click Yes to allow it to install the necessary C++ image processing libraries.
Step 3: Copy Critical Files to FiveM
After ReShade is installed, open your GTA V folder where ReShade is located (e.g. C:\Program Files\Rockstar Games\Grand Theft Auto V).
Copy the following mandatory files:
- dxgi.dll
- reshade64.dll (or reshade32.dll for 32-bit)
- ReShade.fx
- ReShade.ini
And paste them into your FiveM application data folder where you installed ReShade. If any of these files are missing, things will break!
Step 4: Switch FiveM to Vulkan Graphics
Open your FiveM settings config file located at:
%localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data\settings.xml
Find the line:
<graphicsApiVulkan value="false" />
And change it to:
<graphicsApiVulkan value="true" />
This will switch FiveM to use the Vulkan graphics API for compatibility with ReShade. Save the file when changed.
Step 5: Launch FiveM and Configure ReShade
Fire up FiveM normally and in the top left you should now see the ReShade in-game menu. Open it up and click "Edit ReShade Settings".
In the popup, go to the "Usage Mode" tab and enable the "Performance Mode" option. Click Save to apply this optimal setting.
ReShade should now be initialized and working flawlessly when you join GTA Online. Enjoy the spectacular graphics!
Troubleshooting Tips
If you still face issues getting ReShade running smoothly on FiveM, try these advanced troubleshooting steps:
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Re-check that all necessary ReShade files like dxgi.dll are present in the FiveM directory and not corrupted.
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Try disabling any other visual/graphics mods that could potentially conflict with ReShade‘s injections.
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Launch FiveM as Administrator to rule out any permissions issues impacting ReShade.
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Fully uninstall ReShade, delete related files from FiveM folder, then reinstall fresh.
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Update GPU drivers to eliminate any driver-level conflicts with ReShade.
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Temporarily disable anti-virus software if it blocks ReShade from hooking properly.
Let me know in the comments if you have any other ReShade-related issues with FiveM! I‘m always happy to help fellow modders enhance their games.
