Author: [Researcher Name] Date: October 26, 2023

This paper examines the function and structure of the keys.dat file in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Rockstar Games, 2002). As a legacy title from the sixth generation of consoles ported to Microsoft Windows, the game utilizes a flat-file system for user configuration. This analysis focuses on how keys.dat stores keyboard and joystick input mappings, its binary encoding, and its relationship with the game’s control configuration menu.

| Offset (bytes) | Size | Description | |----------------|------|-------------| | 0x00–0x03 | 4 | Header / Magic number (always 0x01 0x00 0x00 0x00 in observed versions) | | 0x04–0x07 | 4 | Number of action mappings (typically 0x52 or 82 decimal) | | 0x08–EOF | Variable | Array of mapping entries |

In contrast to modern games that use registry keys, XML, or JSON for settings, GTA: Vice City relies on several .dat files for configuration. Among these, keys.dat (typically located in the game’s data directory) serves the specific purpose of defining the mapping between physical input devices (keyboard keys, mouse buttons, joystick axes) and in-game actions (e.g., accelerate, fire, enter vehicle).