So first things first, credit goes to the following guide written by only_shallow:

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=641831651

This is the guide I used to downgrade my game on Windows. I think its the best version of these guides because its only the bare necessities to play the vanilla version with the entire OST and quality of life updates that fix bugs and provide widescreen.

All links and files I used came from that guide. In a way, this guide is only a way to get THAT guide to work on the Steam Deck.

The only reason to go the downgrade route is either for mods (most were made for and most compatible with version 1.0) and the soundtrack.

GTA:SA has multiple versions. *After* version 3.0 (around the time of the X360 re-release) songs were removed due to licensing reasons. The songs are:

Ultramagnetic MC’s - Critical Beatdown

2 Pac - I Don’t Give A f*ck
Compton’s Most Wanted - Hood Took Me Under
NWA - Express Yourself

Fatback - Yum Yum
Roy Ayers - Running Away
The Gap Band - You Dropped A Bomb On Me

Tom Petty - Running Down A Dream
Joe cocker - Woman to Woman

Black Harmony - Don’t Let It Go to Your Head
Blood Sisters - Ring My Bell

Ozzy Osbourne - Hellraiser
Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name

Charles Wright - Express Yourself
The Blackbyrds - Rock Creek Park
James Brown - Funky President
Macer & The Macks - Soul Power ‘74
James Brown - The Payback
The JB’s - Grunt

I've seen multiple lists where the 'Hood Took me Under' song isn't listed as being absent, so that may still be in the most current version on steam (steam ver 2). There are some other minor issues with the most current version that would prompt people to downgrade (such as available resolutions and minor bugs), but the soundtrack is honestly the biggest reason to downgrade.

This guide doesn't need to be as long as it is, but I made it so for a thorough process. But for those that don't need pics and want the quick version, here are the steps in order:

• install wine via the discovery button (bottom left) in Desktop mode. Search for it.
  
• Download the downgrader itself
  
• Odds are you have GTA:SA installed in the default directory. If so, copy and paste the entire folder onto a new one on your desktop. To find the folder just go to steam, right click the game, go to manage and then install directory.
  
• Run the downgrader and point the install directory to the desktop copy of the game
  
• Once finished, copy and paste the GTASA folder on your desktop back to its original install directory. Overwrite everything.
  
• You're done. Installing the silent patch and such is merely dragging and dropping items to the Steam folder. Delete whatever is left on the desktop pertaining to this process.

The issue is that the downgrader needs Wine to run, and it can't detect the default install directory. If you need more elaboration on these steps, read further:

As stated, the downgrader itself is an exe but it needs Wine to run on the Steamdeck (a program that assists in running Windows files). Steam Deck running Linux means that certain files you're accustomed to using in Windows won't work on Linux.

Go to the discover tab (circled in red) and search for 'Wine':


After it's finished installing, right clicking files should have a prompt at the top that opens it with Wine. Do that for the downgrader.

This is the real reason I've made this guide.

Odds are you've installed GTA:SA to the default directory on your Steam Deck. The problem with that is that the directory is behind a hidden folder ('.local'). Even when I made hidden folders visible I wasn't able to go to it via the downgrader. Even if I copy and pasted the directory and then hit 'browse' the downgrader only crashed:


So if we can't direct the downgrader to the install directory, we're gonna copy and paste the entire game to the desktop (the most straight forward directory). Go to your install directory for GTA:SA. To find it, right click the game on steam (hit on 'browse local files'):


Afterwards, you should be here:


Assuming you installed everything onto the main drive, your directory (highlighted in blue) should be the same exact one as mines. Make a new folder on the desktop and copy everything onto it.

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=641831651
https://gtaforums.com/topic/927016-san-andreas-downgrader/

The downgrader is in the first post on GTAForums and directly linked in the Steam guide above. Download the full version (the 500MB one). Make sure its the version 1.0 exe if you're downloading from the steamcommunity guide I linked. Only reason I'm not linking to it directly is because I don't know if Valve has or will have an issue with the links in the future. And I don't want this guide to go down because of it.

Wherever you get the downgrader from, right click the exe and unpack its contents onto the desktop:


Once that's done, run it like normal. Point the downgrader to the exe in the folder of the desktop copy of GTA:SA that you've made:


Everything should be running as normal now:

If you want to confirm whether or not your copy is downgraded, go into the game and check the radio stations for the missing songs. If you hear any of the missing songs you're good to go.

Personally I check radio X for either the Ozzy or Rage song. You can skip songs in radio stations by toggling to them, and then immediately toggling to a different radio station when you see the station name at the top turn yellow. But you have to be quick: if the station played before you toggled away you weren't quick enough. Just look up 'radio glitch' or something. 'Song Skip'.

Anyway, seeing as how version 1.0 has bugs and lacks some features, the silent patch is a must.

https://cookieplmonster.github.io/mods/gta-sa/#silentpatch
https://cookieplmonster.github.io/mods/gta-sa/#asiloader

You'll need to install both of those to get it running. Its as simple as dragging and dropping to your install directory. After that you should be good to go. The game will run sans the bugs. I consider the silent patch MANDATORY for this game so drag and drop those files. The changelog is massive.

In downgrading the game to version 1.00, you forego the added controller support. So you can't play the game out of the box and just jump into it on the Steam Deck (unless you hook up a mouse and keyboard). So now we're gonna re-add XInput support:


https://cookieplmonster.github.io/mods/gta-sa/#ginput

Its a simple as dragging and dropping to the folders in the install directory. The files themselves have read-me's and the website has setup instructions. The ASI files are needed, which should already be in your install directory if you've already installed the silent patch (which also needs the files).


https://www.gtagarage.com/mods/show.php?id=25380

https://github.com/ThirteenAG/WidescreenFixesPack/releases/download/gtasa/GTASA.WidescreenFix.zip

The game has a slightly squished aspect ratio and stretched HUD elements. It's really not a big deal, but to fix it apply these two mods. The content inside the "rel" folder from the GTAGarage link go into your game's main folder. Same for the contents of the second link.

And that's it. Again, thanks go to the guide at the top of this page. I basically took the main elements of that and managed to get the downgrader running on the Steam Deck. I figure Im not the only one that ran into issues.

As a final little tidbit: the san andreas save file directory on steam deck is:

/home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/12120/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/My Documents/GTA San Andreas User Files/

I only include this for people who, like me, want to move save files back and forth between their PC's and the Deck. Just make sure to play the first mission and save the game so that the folder itself is created.