Metal Gear Master Collection mod cuts MGS2 loading times and restores classic sprites

November 4, 2026·3 min read

MGSHDFix 5.0 improves Metal Gear Solid 2 loading, adds early raw mouse support and restores classic Metal Gear 2 sprites.

One of the most extensive PC mods for Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 has received a major update, bringing faster loading to Metal Gear Solid 2, early raw mouse input support and another large collection of restorations for Konami’s older games.

MGSHDFix 5.0 launched in late October before receiving a 5.0.1 hotfix. The community project already fixes visual problems, crashes and other issues across Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2, Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3, but the latest release considerably expands its scope.

MGS2 loading times receive a major improvement

Metal Gear Solid 2 first-person gameplay showing a handgun aimed at an armed soldier inside a narrow corridor. — Metal Gear Solid 2

One of version 5.0’s most practical additions targets Metal Gear Solid 2. MGSHDFix now preloads assets for rooms connected to the area the player is currently exploring, reducing the pauses that normally occur when moving between locations.

According to the mod’s developer, speedrunners have reported savings of up to roughly five minutes across complete runs. The effect can be particularly noticeable on Linux and Steam Deck, where individual room transitions may load around four to six seconds faster.

The improvement does not change level layouts or gameplay. It instead removes waiting between areas, making repeated playthroughs and speedruns considerably smoother.

MGS2 and MGS3 gain raw mouse input

MGSHDFix 5.0 also introduces work-in-progress raw mouse support for Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3. The current implementation works with third-person camera movement, giving PC players more direct mouse control without reproducing analogue-stick input.

First-person support is not finished yet. The developer is targeting broader implementation for MGSHDFix 5.1, so the current system should be treated as an early version rather than the final mouse-control overhaul.

The update also expands translation support across the collection. New tools allow community translations to replace text without requiring modders to redistribute large portions of the original game data, while native vector fonts have been added for the two MSX-era titles.

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Metal Gear 2 can restore its original MSX2 characters

Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake retro gameplay showing a character inside a military facility with industrial machinery and a radar interface. — Metal Gear 2

The more unusual additions involve Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. Players can now restore the original MSX2 character sprites and facial animations instead of using the altered artwork found in later versions.

The original portraits famously resemble several real actors. MGSHDFix’s developer jokes that the option finally lets players experience “Mel Gibson fighting Sean Connery,” referring to the recognizable appearances associated with Solid Snake and Big Boss in the original artwork.

Other restorations include missing elevator indicators, animation details, music corrections and previously absent environmental elements. Players can disable individual restorations through the mod’s configuration tools if they prefer later versions of particular assets.

The original Metal Gear games get new quality-of-life options

Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 can now automatically check the player’s inventory for the correct keycard when approaching doors, similar to how later games handle card access. The option removes the need to manually cycle through different cards while navigating older areas.

Both games also support loose MP3, WAV, OGG and FLAC soundtrack files, opening additional options for audio restoration and customization.

MGSHDFix 5.0.1 followed shortly after the main update with fixes for viewport cropping and several Metal Gear 2 presentation issues. The mod remains an unofficial PC project, but its latest release continues addressing technical and visual limitations still present in the Master Collection versions.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is the sequel to the espionage action game Metal Gear Solid. Much of the gameplay remains the same, as the game's protagonist has to sneak past guards, outsmart them using various gadgets and defeat the tricky boss enemies. The game expanded it

Released

November 13, 2001

Developer

Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

Publisher

Konami

Systems