How to Download and Install mgshdfix on PC

Installing MGSHDFix takes about five minutes, and most of that is finding the right game folder. The fix is a free download from GitHub, there is no installer wizard to click through, and the whole process is just: download the zip, extract it into the game folder, tell the game’s launcher to hand resolution control over to the fix, and run the included Config Tool once. This guide walks you through every step for the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 on Steam, and also covers how to update MGSHDFix to a newer version and how to uninstall it cleanly if you ever want the vanilla game back.

Before you start

A few quick checks will save you troubleshooting later:

You need the PC version of Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 from Steam. MGSHDFix does not work with console versions.
MGSHDFix covers Metal Gear 1 and 2, Metal Gear Solid 2, and Metal Gear Solid 3. Metal Gear Solid 1 is handled by a separate project, MGSM2Fix.
Each game has its own folder, so you repeat the install for every game you want to fix. Installing it for MGS3 does nothing for MGS2 until you install it there too.
The fix is unofficial and fan made. Modifying your game files is your own choice, and it is a good idea to finish or back up anything you care about before you start moving files around.

Step 1: Download MGSHDFix from GitHub

Go to the MGSHDFix project on GitHub at github.com/ShizCalev/MGSHDFix and open the Releases page. Find the latest release and look in the Assets section for the zip file, which is named along the lines of MGSHDFix_v3.1.0.zip, with the version number changing as new releases come out. Download that zip. Always get it from the official GitHub repository or from the project’s Nexus Mods page. Random download sites sometimes repackage popular mods with junk you do not want, and the real fix is free, so there is never a reason to pay for it or grab it from a sketchy mirror.

Step 2: Extract the zip into the game folder

This is the step people get wrong most often. The contents of the zip need to go inside the folder of the specific game you are fixing, next to the game’s executable, not into the Master Collection’s shared folders and not into a subfolder of their own. For Steam, the game folders live under your Steam library, in paths like:

steamapps\common\MGS2 for Metal Gear Solid 2
steamapps\common\MGS3 for Metal Gear Solid 3

If you are not sure where a game is installed, right click it in your Steam library, choose Manage, then Browse local files, and Steam will open the exact folder for you. Extract everything from the zip into that folder. The fix works through a d3d11.dll proxy file that the game loads at startup, so that file ending up in the right place is what makes the whole thing work. If the game later behaves as if the fix is not there at all, a wrong extraction folder is the first thing to check.

Step 3: Set the launcher resolution options to Default

Launch the game once and open its launcher settings. Set both Internal Resolution and Internal Upscaling to Default / Original. This step is essential, not optional tidying. Resolution in a fixed game is handled entirely by MGSHDFix, and if the launcher is still trying to impose its own internal resolution or upscaling, the two will fight and you will not get the resolution you picked in the Config Tool. Set them to Default, confirm, and you will rarely need to touch the launcher again, especially since MGSHDFix can skip parts of the launcher for you once it is configured.

Step 4: Run the MGSHDFix Config Tool

Inside the game folder you will find a /plugins folder, and inside that is the MGSHDFix Config Tool. Run it. On a first install, this step generates the settings file that the fix reads when the game starts, so skipping it means your settings have nowhere to live. The tool is where you set your resolution, enable ultrawide support, pick borderless mode, turn on SMAA and gamma correction, and explore everything else the fix offers. Make your choices, save, and close the tool. We explain what the important settings actually do in our Config Tool guide linked below. After that, just launch the game normally through Steam and the fix will be active.

How to update MGSHDFix

The project is updated regularly with new features and fixes, including the big performance fix that slashed CPU usage after Konami’s 1.4.0 patch caused problems. Updating is almost as simple as installing, with one extra step that people forget: delete the old d3d11.dll from the game folder before extracting the new version. Old proxy files left behind are a classic cause of a fix that refuses to load after an update. So the routine is: download the new zip from the Releases page, delete d3d11.dll from the game folder, extract the new version over the top, and run the Config Tool again so your settings file is regenerated and current. Repeat for each game you have fixed.

A note on official game updates

One last habit worth forming: when Steam downloads a significant official update for the Master Collection, check the MGSHDFix Releases page afterwards. Game patches can change the files a fix works alongside, and the project has a track record of responding quickly when Konami changes something, as it did when the 1.4.0 patch caused CPU trouble. If an official update ever leaves your fixed game behaving oddly, the routine is simple: grab the latest MGSHDFix release, delete the old d3d11.dll, extract fresh, and run the Config Tool once more. Ninety percent of post-patch weirdness ends there.

How to uninstall MGSHDFix

Uninstalling is refreshingly simple because MGSHDFix does not bury itself in your system. The fix is just the files you extracted into the game folder. Remove those files, including the d3d11.dll and the /plugins content that came with the fix, and the game returns to its vanilla state. If you want to be extra certain everything is pristine, Steam can help: right click the game, open Properties, go to Installed Files, and use Verify integrity of game files. Steam will check the game’s files and repair anything that differs from the official version. Keep in mind that verifying files can also remove modded files, so if you verify while the fix is installed and something stops working, you will simply need to reinstall the fix afterwards.

A quick first-launch checklist

The zip contents are extracted directly into the game folder, not a subfolder
The launcher’s Internal Resolution and Internal Upscaling are both set to Default / Original
You ran the Config Tool at least once so a settings file exists
Your resolution in the Config Tool matches what your monitor actually supports
On Steam Deck or Linux, you have also added the launch option described in our Steam Deck guide

Conclusion

Installing MGSHDFix is a short, simple process: download the release zip from GitHub, extract it into each game’s folder, set the launcher’s internal resolution options to Default / Original, and run the Config Tool from the /plugins folder to generate your settings. Updating means deleting the old d3d11.dll first, and uninstalling means removing the files you added, with Steam’s file verification available if you want a guaranteed clean slate. Once it is in place, the fun part is exploring what the settings can do.

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How to Download and Install MGSHDFix on PC