By platform
Check your platform before following button-level instructions:
- PlayStation: Shape-button strings; identical on PS3, PS4 and PS5
- Xbox: Letter-button strings; identical on 360, One and Series X|S
- PC: Typed console commands via the tilde key, plus the phone numbers
If your next question is about best radio stations GTA, that guide picks up exactly where this section ends.
Best GTA cheats: the numbers
Numbers first - the rest of the page explains how to use them.
| Effect | PlayStation | Xbox | PC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invincibility (5 min) | Right, X, Right, Left, Right, R1, Right, Left, X, Triangle | Right, A, Right, Left, Right, RB, Right, Left, A, Y | PAINKILLER |
| Raise wanted level | R1, R1, Circle, R2, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right | RB, RB, B, RT, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right | FUGITIVE |
| Skyfall | L1, L2, R1, R2, Left, Right, Left, Right, L1, L2, R1, R2, Left, Right, Left, Right | LB, LT, RB, RT, Left, Right, Left, Right, LB, LT, RB, RT, Left, Right, Left, Right | SKYFALL |
| Slow-motion aim | Square, L2, R1, Triangle, Left, Square, L2, Right, X | X, LT, RB, Y, Left, X, LT, Right, A | DEADEYE |
| Explosive melee | Right, Left, X, Triangle, R1, Circle, Circle, Circle, L2 | Right, Left, A, Y, RB, B, B, B, LT | HOTHANDS |
| Moon gravity | Left, Left, L1, R1, L1, Right, Left, L1, Left | Left, Left, LB, RB, LB, Right, Left, LB, Left | FLOATER |
| Change weather | R2, X, L1, L1, L2, L2, L2, Square | RT, A, LB, LB, LT, LT, LT, X | MAKEITRAIN |
| Lower wanted level | R1, R1, Circle, R2, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left | RB, RB, B, RT, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left | LAWYERUP |
| Give weapons and ammo | Triangle, R2, Left, L1, X, Right, Triangle, Down, Square, L1, L1, L1 | Y, RT, Left, LB, A, Right, Y, Down, X, LB, LB, LB | TOOLUP |
| Slippery cars | Triangle, R1, R1, Left, R1, L1, R2, L1 | Y, RB, RB, Left, RB, LB, RT, LB | SNOWDAY |
| Recharge special ability | X, X, Square, R1, L1, X, Right, Left, X | A, A, X, RB, LB, A, Right, Left, A | POWERUP |
| Drunk mode | Triangle, Right, Right, Left, Right, Square, Circle, Left | Y, Right, Right, Left, Right, X, B, Left | LIQUOR |
| Explosive ammo | Right, Square, X, Left, R1, R2, Left, Right, Right, L1, L1, L1 | Right, X, A, Left, RB, RT, Left, Right, Right, LB, LB, LB | HIGHEX |
| Max health and armor | Circle, L1, Triangle, R2, X, Square, Circle, Right, Square, L1, L1, L1 | B, LB, Y, RT, A, X, B, Right, X, LB, LB, LB | TURTLE |
| Fast run | Triangle, Left, Right, Right, L2, L1, Square | Y, Left, Right, Right, LT, LB, X | CATCHME |
Verified on the Legacy and Enhanced builds.
Invincibility (5 min) is the figure most often misquoted in best GTA cheats discussions; Raise wanted level is the one most often left out.
The exceptions mentioned above are the subject of GTA Vice City Stories cheats.
Glossary
If any wording in this guide was unfamiliar:
- Cheat string - The sequence of button presses that triggers a cheat on console
- Session - The period from loading a save until you load another; cheats affect trophies for the session
- Director Mode - GTA V's sandbox mode with built-in cheat toggles
- Console command - The typed word entered after pressing tilde on PC
- Phone cheat - A 1-999 number dialed on the GTA V in-game phone
The exact method
Numbered because the order is the point:
Before you start: in GTA V: the in-game phone for number-based codes; story mode only - cheats are disabled in GTA Online.
- Pause the game and confirm you are in story mode - cheats never work in GTA Online and entering them there does nothing.
- On PC, press the tilde key to open the console and type the cheat word, then press Enter.
- For phone cheats in GTA V, open the cell phone, open the dialer and type the number including the 1-999 prefix.
- If a code fails, re-enter it slowly; most failures are a single missed input in longer strings.
The first run of best GTA cheats takes the longest; by the third it is routine.
Linked guides on fun cheats GTA
Closely connected to best GTA cheats - each one covers a part we only touch on here:
- ↗GTA 4 cheats - GTA 4 Cheats Liberty City Codes Complete List
- ↗GTA 5 cheats - GTA 5 Cheats Codes PS5 Xbox PC Complete List
- ↗GTA Vice City cheats - GTA Vice City Cheats Codes Definitive Edition List
- ↗best GTA games ranked - Best GTA Games Ranked All Time Tier List 2027 Worst to Best
Side by side
Side by side, the trade-offs around best GTA cheats are clearer:
| Approach | Summary | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Movement codes | Super jump, fast run, moon gravity and Skyfall are the fun ones - combine super jump with moon gravity for... | Most players |
| World codes | Weather and slippery-car codes change the whole feel of Los Santos; snow plus moon gravity is a community... | Limited time |
| Combat codes | Max health and armor, weapons and ammo and invincibility turn Rampages and the Big Score into a stress-free... | Completionists |
We revisit this comparison after major updates; the date at the top of the page is when it was last checked.
This is where GTA Online best weapons tier list starts to matter - that guide has the detail.
Fixes for common problems
When best GTA cheats does not behave, it is usually one of these:
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Console on PC will not open | The tilde key is bound to the key below Escape; on non-US layouts use the key in that physical position. |
| Code accepted but nothing happens | Some cheats need context - Skyfall needs open sky, vehicle spawns need space, and Fast Swim only shows in water. |
| Phone says number not recognised | Include the leading 1-999 and check for a missing digit; the phone needs the full string. |
| Trophy did not unlock after reloading | Make sure you loaded a save made before cheats were entered, not an autosave created after. |
Pro tips for crazy GTA cheats
A few things about best GTA cheats that took us longer to learn than they should have:
- Enter a weather code repeatedly to cycle through all conditions including snow.
- Rockstar leaves a few cheats unlisted; the ones in our table are all verified on the current build.
- Vehicle spawns drop the car exactly where you stand - do it on open ground, not on a rooftop.
- Director Mode has cheats built into its menu with no input strings needed.
Where that leaves you
Strip best GTA cheats down and it is a handful of facts and one sequence. The facts are in the table; the sequence is in the numbered list. Everything else on this page is insurance.
The logical follow-up is best GTA games ranked worst best tier list 2027 and GTA San Andreas cheats.
