iCEnhancer, one of Grand Theft Auto 4’s most iconic visual mods, just got its first major update in almost 11 years with the launch of version 4.0. Made by Hayssam Keilany, the mod has built its name on dramatically improving how Grand Theft Auto 4 looks: better lighting, sharper reflections, and a noticeable bump in overall visual quality.
Grand Theft Auto 4 originally came out in 2008 and is still considered one of the best in the series, mainly thanks to its gritty storytelling and immersive open world. In 2011, iCEnhancer dropped and gave the game a serious facelift, with more realistic lighting, revamped textures, and added atmosphere that pushed GTA 4’s Liberty City closer to a modern-day look. But after version 3.0 was released in 2014, Keilany ran into burnout, partly triggered by constant pushback from some corners of the modding community. This led him to step away from the project and place the mod on indefinite hold.
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Keilany resurfaced in 2019, saying he was back at it after a four-year break. Progress was slow at first, but now the long wait is over – iCEnhancer 4.0 went live on July 14, marking its biggest update in more than a decade. This new version introduces physically based lighting for the first time, a big technical step up from earlier GTA 4 iCEnhancer builds. It also adds faster shaders, major improvements to fog and cloud rendering that now impact the lighting engine, and better overall performance. Other tweaks include more natural-looking skies, reworked glass textures, and updated ENB support to fix compatibility issues tied to Windows 11. Keilany has called this the most stable and optimized version of iCEnhancer so far.
The release of iCEnhancer 4.0 was met with a positive response from fans. One player said it was “nice to see” the update finally land, mentioning the “effort really shows.” Another chimed in, saying they “wish the rumored port” of GTA 4 looked as sharp as the mod. That comment refers to ongoing speculation about a potential PlayStation 4 release of Grand Theft Auto 4, which would naturally also run on PS5.
Nothing official has come out about a GTA 4 remaster or port yet, but speculation isn’t slowing down, especially as excitement builds around the highly anticipated next entry in the series. Recently, fans noticed Manni L. Perez, the actress many believe is playing Lucia in GTA 6, suddenly vanished from social media. Those keeping tabs on GTA 6 might want to circle August 7 on the calendar, when Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, will hold its next earnings call, which could bring in some fresh details.
April 29, 2008
M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
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