Tommy Vercetti is back. But honestly, playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – The Definitive Edition without a few shortcuts feels wrong. It’s a nostalgic trip. The neon lights of Ocean Drive look sharper now, but the difficulty spikes in those classic missions? They’re just as brutal as they were in 2002. If you're stuck on "Death Row" or just want to spawn a Rhino tank in the middle of a traffic jam, you need the right codes.
Rockstar Games changed a few things in this remaster. Some old favorites are gone. Others work exactly like you remember. You've got to be careful, though. Using vice city definitive edition cheats isn't as consequence-free as it used to be back on the PlayStation 2.
The Big Warning Everyone Ignores
Don't just start typing. Seriously.
The moment you trigger a cheat in the Definitive Edition, your Trophies or Achievements are toasted for that session. If you’re a completionist aiming for that Platinum trophy, you’re basically locking yourself out the second you spawn a Bloodring Banger. Always, always keep a "clean" save file. Save your game manually before you start messing with the reality of Vice City.
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There’s also the "big head" glitch and certain physics bugs that can crop up if you layer too many cheats at once. The Unreal Engine 4 port is a bit more temperamental than the original RenderWare engine. If you activate "All Cars Are Pink" and then try to do a story mission involving a specific vehicle, don't be shocked if the game crashes. It happens.
The Essential Cheat Codes for Every Platform
Whether you're on a deck chair with a Switch or sweating in front of a high-end PC, the inputs remain mostly traditional. You don't open a console command box like in some modern shooters. You just input the sequence while standing in the game world.
Health, Armor, and Money
This is the holy trinity. If you're dying during a shootout with the Diaz gang, type ASPIRINE on PC. For controller users, it’s R1, R2, L1, Circle, Left, Down, Right, Up (PlayStation) or RB, RT, LB, B, Left, Down, Right, Up (Xbox).
Wait. There’s a catch.
Unlike the original, the money cheat isn't bundled with health and armor in every version. If you need cash, you might actually have to work for it or use a specific trainer on PC. But for pure survival? ASPIRINE is your best friend. It even fixes your car if you're sitting inside it when you trigger the code. Just be mindful that it won't fix a car that's already flipped and on fire. You're not a miracle worker.
The Weapon Sets
Why settle for a stubby pistol? You have three tiers of mayhem.
- Thug Tools: Basic stuff. Brass knuckles, baseball bat, and a simple SMG.
- Professional Tools: This is where the flamethrower and sniper rifle live.
- Nutter Tools: Chainsaws and grenade launchers.
On PC, these are literally THUGTOOLS, PROFESSIONALTOOLS, and NUTTERTOOLS. Simple. On Switch, it's a bit of a finger-twister: R, ZR, L, ZR, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Down, Left.
Spawning Vehicles
Walking is for losers in 1986. You want a tank? Type PANZER. Want to feel like a stock car racer? GETTHEREQUICK spawns the Bloodring Banger.
One of the funniest ones that still works is THELASTRIDE, which gives you the Romero’s Hearse. It’s slow, it’s morbid, and it’s perfect for cruising through Little Havana. If you want something faster, GETTHEREFAST drops a Sabre Turbo right in front of you. Just make sure you have enough space. Spawning a vehicle inside a building or too close to a wall usually results in a very short, very explosive experience.
Why Some Cheats Disappeared
You might remember the "Cloudy Weather" or "Foggy Weather" codes. In the Definitive Edition, some of these were modified because of how the new lighting system works. The engine handles volumetric fog differently now. Rockstar also removed a few cheats due to "technical reasons," which is developer-speak for "it broke the game so badly we couldn't fix it in time for launch."
Specifically, the "Pedestrians Follow You" cheat can be incredibly buggy in the remaster. The AI pathfinding in the Definitive Edition is... let's call it "experimental." If you have twenty NPCs trying to navigate a narrow staircase in the Vercetti Estate, the frame rate will tank.
The Weird Stuff: Physics and Aesthetics
Vice City isn't just about crime. It’s about the vibe.
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- CIGARS: Tommy starts smoking. It doesn't do much, but it looks cool.
- CERTAINDEATH: Tommy pulls out a cigarette.
- DEEPFRIEDMARSBARS: Tommy gets "fat."
- PROGRAMMER: Tommy gets "skinny."
If you want to create absolute chaos, use FIGHTFIGHTFIGHT. This makes every pedestrian in the city hate each other. Couple that with OURGODGIVENRIGHTTOBEARARMS (which gives everyone guns), and Vice City turns into a literal war zone in seconds. It is virtually impossible to finish story missions with these active because your mission-critical NPCs will likely get mowed down by a grandmother with an M4.
Changing Your Look
You don't have to be Tommy. You can play as almost any major character model.
- LOOKLIKELANCE: Play as Lance Vance.
- MYSONISALAWYER: Play as Ken Rosenberg.
- WELOVEVCPD: Play as a cop.
These are purely cosmetic. You won't get special dialogue, and the game still treats you as Tommy Vercetti. It’s just a fun way to spice up your third or fourth playthrough.
Improving Your Vice City Experience
Let’s talk strategy. Most people use vice city definitive edition cheats just to mess around, but if you're using them to beat the game, you're doing it wrong if you don't use the "Slow Motion" code during the "Keep Your Friends Close" finale.
BOOOOOORING (PC) or Triangle, Up, Right, Down, Square, R2, R1 (PlayStation) slows everything down. It makes those high-speed chases through the narrow alleys of Vice Point much more manageable. Just remember to use ONSPEED to return to normal velocity afterward, or you'll be stuck in a cinematic crawl for the rest of eternity.
The "Dodo" Car Cheat
This is the holy grail for many. CHITTYCHITTYBB. It gives cars low gravity, essentially allowing them to fly if you hit a bump at high speed. It’s notoriously difficult to control. You have to balance the pitch of the car like it’s a plane, but without wings. If you master it, you can skip massive chunks of the map and land on top of the Hyman Condo before you've even unlocked that part of the city.
Technical Nuances for 2026 Players
Since the "Definitive Edition" has seen several patches since its disastrous 2021 launch, the stability of these cheats has improved. Early on, spawning too many tanks would cause a memory leak. Now, on modern hardware or even the latest mobile ports via Netflix Games, it's much smoother.
If you are playing on the Netflix/Mobile version, you don't have a physical keyboard or a controller by default. You have to go into the accessibility or pause menu to find the "Cheat Code" entry box. It’s a bit of a flow-breaker, but it works.
Common Misconceptions
A lot of people think there's a cheat to skip missions. There isn't. Never has been. You still have to do the work. The cheats just provide the tools to make that work significantly more violent.
Another myth is the "Bikini Women with Guns" cheat. While there is a cheat to make women follow you (CHICKSWITHGUNS), they aren't always in bikinis—it depends on which part of the map you're in. The game pulls from the local NPC pool.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Session
If you’re ready to dive back into the 80s, here is how you should handle your "cheat" run to ensure you don't regret it later.
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- Manual Save Point: Drive to the Ocean View Hotel. Save your game in Slot 1. Never touch this slot while cheating.
- Enable Your Loadout: Input PROFESSIONALTOOLS first. It gives you the most versatile weapon set for general chaos.
- The "Fixer" Code: Memorize ASPIRINE. It is the single most important string of text in the game. It heals you and repairs your vehicle instantly.
- Weather Control: If the glare on the water is too much (a common complaint in the remaster), use ALVELYDAY to clear up the sky. It makes the colors pop and reduces the "shimmering" effect on the asphalt.
- Check Your Stats: Occasionally check the "Stats" menu. If your "Criminal Rating" starts dropping into the negatives, it’s a sign that you’ve used too many cheats and the game’s internal logic is starting to struggle.
Vice City is a playground. The Definitive Edition, despite its flaws, remains the most accessible way to play this classic today. Use the codes, have your fun, but remember that the real magic of the game lies in that climb to the top of the criminal underworld—even if you did use a tank to win a street race.