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First thing to be pointed out: I base the instructions on the physical CD releases of both games. And mind you, both are their English original releases.
So problems with your localized versions will be not covered here.

Starlancer is the older of the two and the easiest to deal with.

It has native Joystick support and the community open-source reimplementation OpenReliant makes playing the game on modern systems pretty straight forward. It also introduces native XBOX One Controller support!

What is special about installing OpenReliant is, that it is fully command line driven!

So here is what I did:

1. Insert CD 1 of 2 into the drive
2. download the latest OpenReliant release, extract its archive to the folder you would like the game to be installed.
3. I had the CD 1 in drive D: and wanted to install it on drive H:, which for me ended up in this command line on CMD (open it as Administrator):

openreliant.exe install –from D:\ “H:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Starlancer\openreliant”

4. After it is finished with CD 1, insert CD 2 and repeat the command.

5. Once CD 2 is done too, simply double click OpenReliant.exe to start the game.

Next up is Freelancer HD Edition, which is a wonderful mod adding HD, 2K and higher resolutions to the game.

It just needs the original Freelancer installed on your Windows already, but at least it does not touch them so you can keep using your installation vanilla or copying the files for a different mod which we will do later.

To get Freelancer HD Edition working, I would suggest going the following route:

1. Install Freelancer from your phyiscal CD
2. Download and run the FreelancerHDESetup*.exe
3. I’d suggest here to use the custom option,as per default, it saves the savegames of FreelancerHDE in the original Freelancer Savegames folder at %Documents%\My Games\Freelancer, selecting in the options to let FreelancerHDE use its own savegame folder, makes it create the folder %Documents%\My Games\FreelancerHDE, instead,

We all know that we were sad when Freelancer 2 never saw the light of day!
The Russian Freelancer community thought alike, and took it in its own hands to make a Freelancer 2 happen, aka “Freelancer Nomad Legacy“!

Luckily, they also made a full English translation. Unfortunately the documentation is full of spelling errors, grammar flukes, and missing or confusing instructions.
Turns out as I was told, good instructions are not that important, most important is a good product.
And till the end of the year, they plan to throw out Re-Shade and redo the project using their own engine. I was a bit in disbelief, as I know from experience, good documentation is important. Ignorance is bliss!

Until then, with the help of AI and trial and error, here are my findings:

1. copy the freelancer vanialla installation folder into a non-system folder (so no %program files% or similar folder) as the game needs write permission in the game folder, I have chosen H:\Games\Freelancer Nomad Legacy

2. Download the “Variant 2” from https://freelancer2.space/en/

3. Extract the files of the archive into the copied Freelancer game folder, let the system replace already existing files.

4. (Optional) From the get go, I did experience a missing character in the communicator of the intro scene, renaming the file “d3d9.dll” of the /EXE sub-folder into d3d9.dll.bak triggered the launcher to re-create the missing .dll file and fix the Re-Shade error!

5. once the copy operation completed, run the game by double clicking on the file “RUN_english.bat”.

6. Once the launcher has opened, the select the desired resolution.

Last but not least, the Freelancer XBOX Gamepad Controller Mod
This mod is utilizing JoyToKey and has been tested with Freelancer HDE and should also be compatible with Freelancer Nomad Legacy.

Unfortunately the mod is no longer compatible with the latest version of JoyToKey 7.4.0, so I did file a bug report and also provided a fix.

So here is how to go about:

1. Download JoyToKey
2. Download the fixed mod file, aka freelancer.cfg from my bug report
3. follow the rest of the instructions from the mod’s description page

There is a way to remove the 30fps lock in L.A. Noire, confirmed to work in Windows 11 26H2 on an Nvidia 5070Ti@16GB VRAM with latest Game Ready Drivers.

Find the patch at GitHub.

I have found via PCGaming Wiki that the version from the EA Storefront is actually the one this is the worst of the bunch, hence there is a patch to bring the EA version to the GOG version containing all the fixes the GOG team applied to their version of the game. Out of the 3 versions offered of the patch, the fallback version worked for me.

If you are using G-Sync/FreeSync, you might want to manually disable V-Sync of the game as by default it is enabled.

You might also want to download and apply the Controller Remapping Fix and activate the pre-order bonus.

Last but not least, restore the cut content by applying the GlobalMod.

If you want to play the game in newer DirectX 12 , it could happen that after the loading splash screen appeared, it simply crashes. The solution can be found in PCGamingWiki:

1. Go to %LOCALAPPDATA%\MK11\
2. Open UserSettings.ini
3. Find RGBPeripherals = on and RGBKeyLighting = on
4. Set them to RGBPeripherals = off and RGBKeyLighting = off
5. Save the file

Like with many other games, what worked under 25H2, stopped working in 26H2, time to have a look at the GOG releases of the Interstate series!

We start with Interstate 76 Nitro-Pack which is the easiest to get run, as the only issue here is the 3 fps throughout the whole game!

The only way to fix this is really, to disable G-Sync system wide in the Nvidia app before starting the game.

Even if I add the nitro.exe and set it up in Nvidia App to disable G-Sync, and frame rate to 162 (as I have a 165 Hz screen) and V-Sync on set to off or App driven, the game ignores that as the G-Sync indicator is displayed still as a watermark on the screen regardless.

Also forcing the game to use glide causes the error “unbound exception” and also using dgVoodoo2 as GOG Support suggested earlier simply makes the game ignoring those, I can verify that by neither the 3DFX (for Glide) or dgVoodooWatermark showing (for DirectX), seems DirectX5 games are especially complex.

Next up is Interstate 76:
Interstate 76 now shows the loading screen and instantly closes without any error message.

So I had a look and https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Interstate_%2776 and ended up having success by applying the Crossgen116 Patch! (I did not install the optional add ons and mods that come with the patch, tho!)

Last but not least – Interstate 82!:
Unfortunately, like so many games since 26H2 , Interstate 82’s situation worsened with the latest Windows build.In fact the game no longer starts even. in task manager I can see it causes 16% CPU load and takes 0,8MB RAM, but apart from that i8stubz.exe just seems to be stuck there. 

turns out there is a community patch on https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Interstate_%2782 addressing all issues.

And it indeed works! As a bonus, it does support 1080p aka full HD resolutions now!

The game doesn’t support Full HD, 2K, 4K resolutions, which was never much of a problem for the Steam release as it had been updated with an earlier version of the widescreen patch. However under 26H6 this is no longer the case, and “full screen” only covers 3/4 of the screen!

The solution can be found in form of a newer version of the patch which adds Full HD, 2K and 4K widecreeen support. It is available for the disc release, the GOG and the Steam release alike!

I have taken this from my own guide that I shared with the project KQ8FixWin11 as at the time of writing this, what they offered, has an issue with camera control

Here is an updated list of the config of my system I tested this on since a few things changed since I participated there!:

Windows 11 Pro 26H2, Nvidia 5070Ti@16GB VRAM, 32 GB RAM, AMD Ryzen 5 8400F@4.20Ghz, Monitor: KOORUI GP01 2K @165, FreeSync Premium enabled in monitor, G-Sync enabled in Nvidia App, game ready driver 621.01 , Global Settings: 162 FPS, G-Sync enabled, V-Sync enabled (in contrast V-Sync disabled if available within game).

Here is what I have done to get it working 100%

1. Install game off GOG Galaxy
2. Apply KQ8FIX11 patch from [Nov 28, 2025] in this bug thread!
3. start kq8fix.exe
4. disabled: among 3dfx (Glide): suppress WM_Size, enable: disable 3DFX
5. replace and adjust settings of new dgVoodoo2 like described by @samuelvary1 at Turning the in-game camera is very difficult #1 (comment) = version 87_6
6. swap settings of kq8fix.exe in 4) (i.e. vice versa enabled/disabled = back to default settings)
7. Run the game, intro FMV plays, close WMP, main menu displays. Stay at 640 x 480 and make all graphic improvements enabled.
8. Result: Game runs in correct aspect ratio = streched to 2K desktop resolution and camera turning with right click mouse movements work, too!

Before 26H2, the game worked fine even without any patches, like the all-in-one patch, however since 26H2, an additional patch is needed.

So here comes my own guide to get it working properly:

1. download the all-in-one patch By |)in-d1n
2. install it into the game’s folder
3. run it from the game’s “LaunchGB.exe” and select “Clone Campaign” -> Widescreen -> Enable
4. download and apply the cnc draw upscaler from gamepwn22
5. copy it into the game’s .\Game\ subfolder
6. do not change any settings
7. Run the game from now on using LaunchGB.exe
8. In the game’s settings menu of either the default or Clone Campaign, select the highest resolution and start a mission of choice.
9. The game will be adjusted to fullscreen, no longer needing to change the display’s resolution to 1080p or less! Tested in 2K resolution!

Culpa Innata used to work fine in earlier builds of Windows 11, however on 26H2, the game starts with black sceeens, only sound can be heard.

As we have to fiddle with the game files anyway to make it fully work, why not also restoring the uncut content and add support for widescreen resolutions along the way.

We are referring to the Uncut Patch Guide on Steam:

1. Extract the contents of the Culpa Innata Uncut Patch folder into the game’s installation directory in Steam and overwrite the files when asked.
   
2. Now we download and apply the Culpa Innata Fix (v2), which adds support for widescreen resolutions and removes the film grain effect:
3. Download the latest dgVoodoo2
4. Copy the following files from its ZIP archive to the game’s folder root:
5. \MS\x86\D3D8 & \dgVoodooCpl.exe
6. Find the dgVoodoo2 provided D3D8.dll that you placed in the game’s folder. Rename it to “D3D8_dgvoodoo.dll” (needs to be that exact name).
7. .Add the widescreen patch’s D3D8.dll where the dgVoodoo2 one used to be.
8. Make sure the config path within dgVoodoo2 is set to the game’s folder root.
9. You need to set an exact resolution in dgVoodoo2‘s DirectX tab – not one of the named special resolutions. For example, enter “1920×1080”, not “Max FHD”.
10.  Confirm that dgVoodoo.conf exists in the game’s install folder.
11. Run the game -> enable and check full Uncut subtitles: Go to the settings in the main menu -> Click on Captions, then on On.
12. after the intro (right click to skip it), you are in the main hall -> Click on the plants in the background. -> captions should be visible like this: “My poor plants, needy of my attention. At least they are maintenance free” (Because in the uncut version, there are Captions for all dialogue, even the one-liners Phoenix says from time to time). However she only says this once.

The story of the mods and patches and DLCs for Split/Second on PC (Windows 11), Linux/Steam Deck is a complex and complicated one.

This post tries to reflect the reality of November 2026 and all its advantages and disadvantages and nuances.

It turns out, up until summer 2022, there used to be a “DLC by Elysium” mod, bringing all the extra content like cars and tracks from the XBOX version of the game to the PC Steam version. (also called “SplitSecondUltimate14551” or “Quarry track mod”) which ever since has been removed.

It ever since has been replaced by something called “Xenon”, which can be downloaded here.

According to my memory from the top of my mind, I did download a savegame file for the old DLC mod because there is a bug in the game that does not let you save your progress after season 1 so you will never have season 2 and further unlocked. I have had repeatedly tried.

Unfortunately the savegame collection available for download on the same page as the Xenon mod, will have all races unlocked and marked as won in 1st place, i.e. you cheated your way through the game. Not my style, hence I will rather stay with the old mod and the old savegames then having to re-do all my progress again from scratch.

Only minor disadvantage is, the gamepad is not working for navigation in the menu of the game, and for XInpuit you have to manually map each button first within the game.

Newly available for the stock game/the old DLC Mod and the new XENON DLC mod, is a 60 fps mod from October 2026 by ccollomb.

Also available is an online mod from November 2025 by Yellow, re-estsblishing online multiplayer for PC and SteamDeck (requires the Xenon DLC Mod to work)

If you are after the obsolete SplitSecondUltimate14551 DLC mod and/or its savegames, feel free to email me, I kept them stored.

I already wrote about disabling hi-res in the settings of the game to make it run.
New with 26H2 is, it won’t anymore start if more than 1 monitor is enabled in Windows 11 26H2, disable all secondary monitors makes it run again!

About Yesterday, I wrote in the same post how to patch a sound bug introduced with censorship done for the GOG and Steam releases. New for Windows 11 26H2 is the neccessatiy to use dgVoodoo2 or else it will hang at the first loading animation.

New is, that also now The Next BIG Thing requires the use of dgVoodoo2 or else it will hang at the first loading animation, too.