I am not the original creator of this guide, my intention here is not to blatantly plagiarise and claim false credit but to spread the message and help newcomers experience one of the greatest games ever made.

I want to take this moment to give all credits and props to Landing Target and direct you to their website if you would rather read the guide there instead of here:

https://www.landingtarget.com/deus-ex-modern-vanilla-experience/

If you’re looking to play Deus Ex the way it was intended to be experienced back in 2000, without the reimagining and bloat of modern overhaul mods, this is the guide for you.

Setting up Deus Ex today, whether you’re a veteran or a newcomer, can be overwhelming. There are lots of ways to upgrade the game, from renderers and texture packs to overhauls and mods that promise improvements while quietly gutting the game’s atmosphere.

While GMDX is an impressive mod packed with quality-of-life tweaks, sharper visuals, smarter AI, and new mechanics, all that polish comes at a cost. It stops feeling like Deus Ex. Maps are reworked, skills and augmentations are overhauled, sound effects are swapped, and the original atmosphere slips away. Despite its name, GMDX doesn’t give you Deus Ex; it gives one interpretation of it.

Some decisions even feel arbitrary, like removing the classic “I spilled my drink” from the menu’s sound test. Its all-or-nothing approach undermines what could have been the definitive upgrade.

The 'Ton Hotel’s new layout, New Vision textures, and a silenced Glock replacing the original pistol are just a few of GMDX’s many changes.

Revision is an overhaul that pushes the reinterpretation even further. Entire maps are redesigned, some characters are recast with new voice actors, the iconic soundtrack is changed, and the textures use high-contrast assets that clash with the original art direction. It ends up looking and sounding more like a fan remake than an upgrade. While it smooths out some rough edges, it also strips away the game’s soul in favor of something more sterile and theatrical.

Revision's version of Area 51 sector 4.

Transcended does claim to be “largely built for first time players”, but in reality it modifies things it shouldn’t. Furniture colors and other visuals are changed by it, as well as the main menu colors, affecting the original aesthetic. It also lacks a modern launcher, so choosing a renderer or disabling mouse acceleration can be a pain.

Community Update may seem like the ultimate fixpack, but it changes too many things under the hood. For example, it adds a custom augmentations menu bound to the middle mouse button even if you deselect all the extras in its installer. It also lacks proper documentation detailing exactly what it changes.

Confix started as a bugfix mod focused on conversation files. It adjusts dialogue scripting and logic flags to fix broken interactions, which can subtly change how certain scenes play out. Sadly, the mod lacks proper documentation detailing its exact changes, and it requires the Lady D Denton mod, which unfortunately introduces non-vanilla gameplay elements.

Get the GOG[www.gog.com] or Steam version. It’s the cleanest starting point.

The Kentie Launcher[kentie.net] is the essential upgrade for running Deus Ex on modern systems. It fixes compatibility, allows resolution changes, and supports alternative renderers like DirectX 11.

All you have to do is extract the .exe to the Deus Ex\System folder and replace the original one.

The DirectX 11 Renderer[community.pcgamingwiki.com] looks and runs great, supporting custom .dds textures that can be simply dropped into your Deus Ex\Textures folder. It also preserves the exact look of the original lighting and reflections. It’s identical to the OpenGL Renderer[www.cwdohnal.com] without needing to manually adjust the gamma (if you have an Nvidia card).

Unlike the DirectX 10 Renderer[kentie.net] it doens’t suffer from any stuttering and crashes on modern hardware.

How to install:

- Download the renderer[community.pcgamingwiki.com] and open the DirectX 11 Renderer.7z archive. Navigate to the DirectX 11 Renderer\1.6.1 folder.

- Unpack both the Common and DeusEx folders to your desktop and merge them into one folder.

- Copy all files and folders from the merged folder into your Deus Ex\System folder.

- Open the Kentie Launcher (deusex.exe) and click Configure.

- Select Direct3D 11 Support as your renderer. The default 120fps is fine for most cases.

- Choose Fullscreen (not borderless as it causes some crazy menu lags) and set your resolution.

- Use a custom GUI scaling – x1 is good for 1080p. Consider x2 and beyond for higher resolutions.

- Make sure you enable the Raw Input and Widescreen cinematic subtitle fix.

- Enable Use DirectSound and leave it at 40. Do not check Use single CPU.

- For quality set 32 bit color and check Detailed textures.

- Set FOV to Automatic.

Launch the game once, enter the training level, then exit. This initializes the settings.

Navigate to:

%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Deus Ex\System\deusex.ini

Replace your entire [D3D11Drv.D3D11RenderDevice] block with this:

[D3D11Drv.D3D11RenderDevice]
DetailTextures=True
Coronas=True
HighDetailActors=True
VolumetricLighting=True
ShinySurfaces=True
Precache=False
Antialiasing=4
Anisotropy=16
VSync=True
ParallaxOcclusionMapping=True
LODBias=0
BumpMapping=True
HDR=False
AlphaToCoverage=True
AutoFOV=False
FPSLimit=0
UnlimitedViewDistance=True
ASSAO=True
ASSAOContrast=0.3
ASSAOScale=0.2
HDRLuminance=0.0
HDRAdaptationSpeed=0.0
HDRBloom=0.0
HDRFilmicTonemapping=False
SSR=False
SSRIntensity=0.0
ParallaxRange=1.0
BumpMappingContrast=0.5
SSRNonTransparentWater=False
SSRModelIntensity=0.0
OneXBlending=True
Tesselation=False
TessDefaultFactor=0.3
FullMeshLOD=False
SupportMETextEnabled=False
FastAltTab=True
DisableTextureFiltering=False
DescFlags=0
Description=

These values remove incorrect HDR lighting, SSR reflections (like the NYC skyline’s reflection on Liberty Island’s sidewalks), and sync the framerate cap with Kentie’s default of 120fps. It also removes the watermark from the main menu.

Due to an archiving mistake by Eidos and Ion Storm, all versions of Deus Ex sold with the 1.112fm patch (including the Game of the Year and Collector editions) contain outdated map files. Specifically, the maps included in version 1.112fm are from May 2000, while the correct versions from 1.003f_xx are from June 2000. Restoring the June 2000 maps fixes a number of bugs and issues that affect gameplay.

- Absence of music when entering Hell’s Kitchen a third time.

- Absence of the emergency hatch in the elevator facing the Queen’s Tower.

- Poor lightings with low contrasts in a few maps.

- The ability to kill MJ12 soldiers with a secret gas valve in Hong Kong heliport (buggy in the 1.112fm GotY Edition).

- Other minor bugs.

To fix this, download the Deus Ex Maps Patch[www.dxm.be] and unpack the Maps folder into the root of your Deus Ex game folder, overwriting any existing files.

Modern Upscales mod: before on the left, after on the right.

These textures faithfully upscale all in-game characters, items and decorations. They do not reinvent the art style like “New Vision” or other HD packs.

- Download the Modern Upscales[www.nexusmods.com] main file.

- Download the Texture Fixes by Garguane[www.nexusmods.com] optional file.

- From the main file archive, unpack the 3 folders inside the Textures folder into your Deus Ex GOTY\Textures folder.

- From the optional file archive, unpack the DeusExCharacter folder into your Deus Ex GOTY\Textures folder, overwriting any existing files

IMPORTANT: Don’t skip the Gargaune fix as it corrects several broken textures. Just overwrite the files from the main archive with the fix.

EDIT: Personally, I prefer to use this mod for static objects and items rather than character models. It changes facial features of some characters too much for my liking but to each their own. Its still a good mod.

If you want a version of Deus Ex that simply works better without compromising its identity, the Vanilla Bean Mod comes in two flavors to match how much change you’re comfortable with.

Vanilla Bean Core[www.nexusmods.com]

Focuses on fixing long-standing visual issues and bugs without touching gameplay balance:

- FOV fixes for weapons and items, resolving GEP Gun and LAW cropping, corpse carry clipping, and the undersized scopes and binoculars seen at modern resolutions.

- Inventory displays weapon mod counters.

- Corpse looting has been improved so that if your inventory is full, any overflow items drop to the ground next to the body instead of triggering the “no room” message.

- Walton Simons will correctly appear at Area 51 if you left him unconscious earlier in the game, not only if you avoided him.

- On Liberty Island, Paul Denton now carries a Baton and Riot Prod instead of the absurd Plasma Rifle and Assault Rifle, allowing him to knock out NSF soldiers rather than slaughtering them.

- The Ford Schick fix is also included, so there’s no need to install it separately.

- Allows attaching a laser to the GEP Gun, as the vanilla GEP Gun description states it “can fire rockets and laser guide them”.

Installation: Copy the Maps, System, and Textures folders into your Deus Ex root directory

Vanilla Bean Plus[www.nexusmods.com]

For players who want a bit more comfort without breaking the game, Vanilla Bean Plus builds on the Core version with carefully chosen quality-of-life upgrades:

- Previously installed aug canisters can now be recycled at MedBots.

- Passive augs, and reduced energy costs.

- Allows throwing objects with the fire button and jumping while holding items.

- Functional gas grenades and baton.

- Flare darts ignite enemies.

- A silencer for the 10mm pistol and a scope for the assault rifle.

- Alt ammo types now have soft colors for clarity.

- Weapon mods stack up to 5, lockpicks and multitools stack up to 30.

- Better recharge levels for bots.

- ATMs include a Drain Account button for quicker hacks.

- When revisiting wounded Paul in his NYC hotel room, you’ll now find a pistol in his closet.

- More weapon mods – smuggler will now have 5 weapon mods in his mirror safe on each visit. The MJ12 Secret Lab armory will now contain 5 additional mods. Dowd’s hideout in the cemetery will now have 5 more mods. The Paris arms dealer’s apartment will now have 5 more mods. The Area 51 Bunker hangar will now have 5 weapon mods.

- The Swimming skill is free and can be upgraded to master at no cost.

- Zyme stacks to 30 up from 20.

Thank you for reading!