1. Installation – Tiberian Sun Client
   
2. Enabling Sidebar Tabs (Vinifera)
   
3. Enabling Sharp Scaling via CnC-DDraw
   
4. Optional Tweaks & Troubleshooting

The Tiberian Sun Client is a modern, standalone re-release of Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun, maintained by the community to run flawlessly on modern systems.

It is the recommended way to play the game in 2025 and beyond, especially if you're using Windows 10 or 11.

Key Improvements

• Standalone and pre-configured
No installation or original CDs needed — just extract and play.

• Modern OS compatibility
Runs smoothly on Windows 7–11 without compatibility mode or patches.

• Built-in bug fixes
Fixes many long-standing engine bugs, graphical issues, and AI glitches from the original game.

• Quality-of-life enhancements
Includes new options like resolution scaling, optional sidebar tabs, and updated hotkeys.

• Multiple renderer options
Supports modern rendering via CnC-DDraw, TS-DDraw, DDrawCompat (Doesn't support windowed mode) — ideal for scaling, windowed fullscreen, and aspect ratio correction.

• Native widescreen support
Supports resolutions up to 4K with proper field of view and HUD scaling.

• Steam overlay and time tracking supported
When launched via the client, the game automatically integrates with the Steam overlay (Shift+Tab), and your playtime will be tracked by Steam without any extra setup.

Download

Latest stable version (v7.0):
https://www.moddb.com/mods/tiberian-sun-client/downloads/tsclient70v

Project page:
https://www.moddb.com/mods/tiberian-sun-client

Installation Instructions

• Download the .zip file from the link above
• Extract it to a folder such as C:\Games\TiberianSunClient
• Run TiberianSun.exe
• Allow the automatic update to complete when prompted

You are now ready to play with all enhancements enabled.

To use the modern RA2-style sidebar with tabs:

Steps:
• Launch the Tiberian Sun Client
• Go to Options > Update & Options
• In the dropdown, choose Vinifera (Beta)
• Click Apply and allow the client to update
• Restart the client

The sidebar should now display tabs in-game.

By default, high resolutions may cause UI and graphics to appear small or blurry. This method allows for low-res internal rendering with pixel-perfect upscaling to your screen resolution.

Step 1 – Set Game Resolution:
Choose a game resolution that cleanly scales to your monitor. Examples:


Set this resolution in the client under Options > Display.

Step 2 – Select Renderer:
Under the Renderer dropdown, choose CnC-DDraw.

Step 3 – Configure ddraw.ini:

Exit the client. Navigate to your Tiberian Sun Client folder and open the ddraw.ini file.

Modify or add the following under the [ddraw] section:


Important: If there’s a [game] section at the bottom of the file, delete it.

Step 4 – Launch the Game:
Start a skirmish or campaign. The game should appear crisp and scaled to your full screen with black bars if aspect ratio correction is applied.

Menus misaligned?
CnC-DDraw does not upscale menus, so they may appear small. This is expected behavior.

Black bars around game?
These are added by boxing=true to preserve aspect ratio. To remove them, set boxing=false.

UI too small at 960x540?
Try a higher in-game resolution (e.g., 1280x720)

Game too small on high-DPI monitors?
Right-click TiberianSun.exe > Properties > Compatibility
Check "Override high DPI scaling" and set it to "Application".