You remember that feeling. It’s 2004, the air is thick with the scent of old plastic, and you’re staring at a crumpled piece of notebook paper covered in scribbled arrow keys and button prompts. Fast forward to now. You're holding a DualShock 4 or a DualSense, and you’re playing the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition. Or maybe you're lucky enough to have the rare PS2-on-PS4 port that Sony pulled from the store years ago. Either way, the itch is the same. You want to cause chaos. You want the Hydra. You want to never, ever run out of health again.
Using san andreas cheats for ps4 isn't just about making the game easier. It’s a core mechanic of the San Andreas experience. Rockstar Games essentially designed the sandbox to be broken. If you aren't flying a tank through the Las Venturas strip or making every pedestrian look like Elvis, are you even playing the game? But here is the catch: things have changed since the PS2 era. Some cheats behave differently in the "Definitve Edition" (DE) than they did in the original code, and if you aren't careful, you’ll lock yourself out of that platinum trophy faster than a Grove Street OG runs from the Ballas.
The Absolute Basics Everyone Forgets
Don’t just start mashing buttons. Seriously.
The most vital thing you need to know about using san andreas cheats for ps4 is that they disable Trophies. Forever. At least for that specific save file. If you input a code and then save your game, you can kiss that "Key to the City" trophy goodbye. Always, and I mean always, create a separate "Cheat Save" or just mess around and then reload your clean file.
Also, some cheats are permanent. The "Peds Riot" cheat is notorious. If you trigger the riot code and then save, the NPCs will be angry forever. Your save is basically ruined if you ever wanted to finish the story normally. It’s a glitch that’s existed since the Bush administration, and even Grove Street Games (the developers of the DE) didn't—or couldn't—fix it.
The Big Ones: Health, Armor, and Money
If you're in a pinch, this is the one you’ll use 500 times. R1, R2, L1, X, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Right, Up. It gives you $250,000, full health, and full armor. In the PS4 version, it also fixes your car if you’re sitting in one. It’s a lifesaver. It’s basically the "don’t die" button.
Then you’ve got the weapon sets. You remember these.
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- Set 1 (Thug Tools): R1, R2, L1, R2, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Right, Up. This gives you the bat, the 9mm, and the Uzi. Classic.
- Set 2 (Professional Tools): R1, R2, L1, R2, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Down, Left. This gets you the flamethrower and the sniper rifle.
- Set 3 (Nutty Tools): R1, R2, L1, R2, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Down, Down. Chainsaw and the silenced pistol.
Getting the Rare Rides
Why drive a Glendale when you can drive a Rhino? To spawn the tank, you hit Circle, Circle, L1, Circle, Circle, Circle, L1, L2, R1, Triangle, Circle, Triangle. Just be careful where you spawn it. If you’re in a narrow alleyway, the physics engine might decide to launch the tank—and you—into the stratosphere.
The Hydra (Jump Jet) is Triangle, Triangle, Square, Circle, X, L1, L1, Down, Up. Flying the Hydra on PS4 feels a bit better than it did on the old analog sticks, but it’s still a beast to control. If you want the Jetpack, which is arguably the best way to get around Los Santos, hit L1, L2, R1, R2, Up, Down, Left, Right, L1, L2, R1, R2, Up, Down, Left, Right. Yes, you have to do the sequence twice. It's burned into my muscle memory at this point.
Why Some Cheats Don't Work Like They Used To
The "Definitive Edition" runs on Unreal Engine 4, but it uses a wrapper for the original game code. It's weird technical wizardry. Because of this, certain san andreas cheats for ps4 might feel a bit laggy or not register if you're mashing the buttons too fast. You have to be deliberate.
There's also the issue of the "Big Head Mode." This was a new addition for the DE version. If you use the Konami code (Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Circle, X), you get CJ and everyone else walking around like Funko Pops. It’s hilarious, but it’s a reminder that this isn't exactly the same game from 2004.
The Mystery of the Missing Cheats
A few original cheats were actually removed from the newer versions. For example, the "Invincibility" cheat (where you were immune to bullets and fire, though not explosions or drowning) has been notoriously buggy or completely absent in various patches of the PS4 DE version. Most players find that while the health/armor cheat works, the true "God Mode" is harder to trigger.
Also, Rockstar confirmed around the launch of the Trilogy that some cheats were removed for technical reasons related to the Unreal Engine. They never gave a full list—probably to keep us guessing—but if your favorite obscure pedestrian behavior code isn't working, that's likely why.
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Manipulating the World Around You
Sometimes you just want to change the vibe. San Andreas is a moody game. If you want it to stay midnight forever, hit Square, L1, R1, Right, X, Up, L1, Left, Left. It locks the clock at 00:00. This is perfect if you’re trying to live out some sort of 90s noir fantasy in the badlands.
Want to speed up the gameplay? Triangle, Up, Right, Down, L2, L1, Square. Everything goes into hyperdrive. It makes the game feel like a frantic fever dream. Alternatively, if you want to feel like you're in The Matrix, use the Slow Motion cheat: Triangle, Up, Right, Down, Square, R2, R1. It makes drive-bys significantly easier, though it's technically cheating. Well, it is cheating.
Handling and Traffic
Is the driving too hard? Hit Triangle, R1, R1, Left, R1, L1, R2, L1. This gives your car "Perfect Handling." You can make 90-degree turns at 100mph without sliding. It's basically a cheat code for the "Farewell, My Love" racing mission which, honestly, everyone hates anyway.
If you hate traffic, hit L1, L2, R1, R2, Up, Down, Left, Right. This makes all the cars invisible except for the wheels. It’s creepy. It’s glitchy. It’s pure GTA. If you just want the roads to be empty, try the "Reduced Traffic" code, though in the PS4 version, this often just results in the same three cars spawning over and over.
The Professional Way to Use Cheats
Look, if you’re going to use san andreas cheats for ps4, you might as well do it right. Don't just spawn a tank and die in five minutes.
- Weapon Skill Max: Hit Down, Square, X, Left, R1, R2, Left, Down, Down, L1, L1, L1. This makes you a Hitman with every gun. You can dual-wield pistols and Sawn-offs. It changes the game's combat flow entirely.
- Muscle Max: Triangle, Up, Up, Left, Right, Square, Circle, Left. You don't have to spend three hours at the gym in Ganton. CJ becomes a beast instantly.
- Infinite Ammo: L1, R1, Square, R1, Left, R2, R1, Left, Square, Down, L1, L1. This is the holy grail. No more reloading. Just pure, unadulterated lead.
Is Cheating "Wrong" in San Andreas?
Some purists say you should play the game "as intended" first. I say the game was intended to be a playground. San Andreas is massive. It’s huge. It’s sometimes tedious. If you’ve already beaten the game on PS2, PS3, and PC, you’ve earned the right to skip the grind.
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The biggest misconception is that cheats will "break" the story. Usually, they don't. The scripts for the missions are mostly independent of CJ's stats or the weapons you have. The only danger is if you use a cheat that alters the NPCs' AI (like the riot cheat) which can make certain NPCs you need to talk to start shooting at you instead.
Practical Steps for Your Next Session
Ready to jump back in? Here is exactly how you should handle your next session to ensure you don't regret it.
- Boot up the game and immediately go to the pause menu.
- Create a new manual save slot. Name it "CHEATS" so you don't get confused.
- Input your codes while CJ is standing still in an open area. If you do it while moving, you might accidentally punch a cop or jump off a ledge.
- Check the top left corner of your screen. You should see a notification that says "Cheat Activated." If you don't see it, you messed up the sequence.
- Experiment with combinations. Some of the best fun in San Andreas comes from stacking cheats. Try the "Cars Fly" cheat (Square, Down, L2, Up, L1, Circle, Up, X, Left) combined with "Super Bunny Hop" (Triangle, Square, Circle, Circle, Square, Circle, Circle, L1, L2, L2, R1, R2). You’ll be launching BMX bikes over skyscrapers.
If you ever want to go back to being a law-abiding citizen (or at least a "clean" criminal), just quit the game and load your main save. The Trophies will be active again, and the world will return to its boring, non-exploding self.
Using san andreas cheats for ps4 is a tradition. It’s a bridge back to a time when games were less about "live service" and more about how much fun you could have with a handful of button inputs. Go ahead, spawn that Bloodring Banger. You’ve got a city to burn.
Don't forget that if you are playing the physical disk version of the Definitive Edition, make sure your game is fully updated. The 1.0 version of the remaster was notoriously buggy with cheat inputs, and many of the stability issues that caused the game to crash when spawning multiple vehicles have been ironed out in the 2022 and 2023 patches.
Grab your controller. Hit those triggers. Los Santos is waiting.
Next Step: Open your PS4/PS5 capture gallery settings and ensure you have video recording enabled. Many of the physics-based cheats in San Andreas lead to "Only in GTA" moments that are worth sharing, especially when the flying car cheat interacts with the game's erratic bridge geometry. Once you've captured your best stunts, you can use the Share factory app to trim them down for your friends.