Modders continue to enhance classic Metal Gear titles, with the latest version of MGSHDFix bringing substantial improvements. MGSHDFix 5.0.1, the newest update from author Afevis Solmunko, focuses on repairing visual bugs, fixing crashes, and optimizing performance for games like Metal Gear Solid 2 and the original Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2.
Key additions in this release include performance enhancements and dramatically reduced loading times for Metal Gear Solid 2. According to the patch notes, a new system that prefetches assets for connected rooms has been implemented, which speedrunners report can shave up to five minutes off their runs. On Linux and Steam Deck systems, this prefetch system can reduce level transition load times by approximately four to six seconds per room.
Additionally, MGSHDFix 5.0 introduces WIP raw mouse input support for Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3's third-person gameplay, with first-person support anticipated in a future update. The mod also offers the ability to restore original MSX2 sprites for Metal Gear 2, including the appearance of Mel Gibson. Support for loose soundtrack files (.MP3, .WAV, .OGG, FLAC) for Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 has also been added.
Further gameplay tweaks include an option for Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 to automatically check inventory for keycards, mimicking the system in Metal Gear Solid 2. The project's mission is to polish the older Metal Gear games, addressing visual glitches and general stability issues. MGS4, which was recently released from its PS3 exclusivity, is not the focus of this mod. Instead, MGSHDFix targets the earlier PlayStation 2-era and pre-release titles.