You will typically find keys.dat in the following directory:
C:\Program Files\Rockstar Games\Grand Theft Auto Vice City\data\
Alternatively, if you are using a digital distribution (like Steam or the now-defunct Rockstar Launcher classic version), look here:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Grand Theft Auto Vice City\data\
Important Note: The
datafolder also contains other critical files likedefault.ide,handling.cfg, andgta_vc.dat. Do not confusekeys.datwithgta_vc.set, which stores graphics and audio settings.
Some total conversion mods (like Vice City Stories PC Edition or GTA: Vice City – Extended Features) modify keys.dat to add new actions (e.g., swimming, crouching, or custom radio keys). If the mod’s installer fails, it might leave a corrupt keys.dat. Symptoms include a working mouse but dead keyboard.
Fix: Delete the corrupt keys.dat and restore the original from your game files (verify integrity on Steam, or reinstall the mod’s input patch). keys.dat gta vc
In the simplest terms, keys.dat is the control mapping configuration file for GTA: Vice City on PC. The “.dat” extension (short for “data”) is a common container for binary or structured text data in Rockstar Games’ RenderWare engine. The “keys” part refers explicitly to keyboard key bindings.
Unlike modern games that store control schemes in easily accessible JSON or XML files, Vice City (released in 2002-2003) uses a proprietary format. The keys.dat file tells the game engine exactly what happens when you press W, A, S, D, Space, or any other key.
For those who want a modern control scheme (WASD movement, E for enter/exit, R for reload, etc.), here is a ready-to-use snippet. Save this as keys.cfg in your data folder.
# GTA Vice City - Modern WASD + E + R Controls
# Movement
1025, 287, 0, 0, "Forward (W)"
1026, 288, 0, 0, "Back (S)"
1027, 289, 0, 0, "Turn Left (A)"
1028, 290, 0, 0, "Turn Right (D)"
# Vehicle Exit / Action
1034, 305, 0, 0, "Enter/Exit (E)"
1035, 306, 0, 0, "Horn/Next Weapon (R)"
# Look Behind
1043, 314, 0, 0, "Look Back (Mouse 4 / V)"
Save, launch the game, and enjoy.
The file is a flat array of keyboard scancodes (DirectInput scan codes, not ASCII). Each action’s binding is stored as a single byte (0–255) at a fixed offset.
| Offset (hex) | Length | Action | Default Value (Scancode) | Physical Key |
|--------------|--------|----------------|--------------------------|---------------|
| 0x00 | 1 | PED_FORWARDS | 0x11 | W |
| 0x01 | 1 | PED_BACKWARDS | 0x1F | S |
| 0x02 | 1 | PED_LEFT | 0x1E | A |
| 0x03 | 1 | PED_RIGHT | 0x20 | D |
| 0x04 | 1 | PED_FIRE | 0x22 | LMB (mouse) → 0x22 (Ctrl) in classic layout |
| 0x05 | 1 | PED_ENTER_EXIT | 0x12 | E |
| … | … | … | … | … |
| 0x30 | 1 | VEHICLE_HORN | 0x13 | H |
(Full layout documented in community resources; offsets beyond 0x80 are for joystick axes/buttons.)
Critical anomalies:
For binary-modding enthusiasts, you can edit keys.dat directly with a hex editor like HxD. Look for the ASCII strings (e.g., “Forward”) and the 4-byte scan codes preceding them. This is risky – one wrong byte crashes the game.
The keys.dat file is a critical configuration asset for GTA: Vice City. Unlike modern games that use human-readable XML or JSON (e.g., gta-vc.xml or Documents/Rockstar Games), Vice City stores all custom keyboard and controller bindings in a binary, non-human-readable file named keys.dat, typically located in the game’s installation root directory (e.g., C:\Program Files (x86)\Rockstar Games\Grand Theft Auto Vice City\).
Key Finding: Corruption or deletion of keys.dat leads to control reset to defaults, but does not cause crashes—the game regenerates a pristine copy on next launch. The file is not a save game file and contains no mission progress, stats, or world state.