Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is one of the few games in the series with a genuine money cheat, and it is the single most famous code Rockstar ever wrote. On PC it is one word. On console it is a twelve-input sequence. Either way, it hands you cash, full health and full armour in one go.
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The cheat code for money in GTA San Andreas
The code is HESOYAM, and it grants $250,000 plus full health and full body armour. On PC you simply type it during gameplay — there is no console window in San Andreas, you just type the letters and a confirmation appears. On PlayStation the equivalent sequence is R1, R2, L1, X, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Right, Up. On Xbox, apply the standard mapping: RB, RT, LB, A, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Right, Up. The code is repeatable — enter it again and you get another $250,000 — which is why it became the definitive shortcut for players who wanted to buy every property in San Andreas without grinding missions. In the mobile and Definitive Edition releases, cheats are entered through an in-game cheat menu instead of typed.
Open-world crime classics worth revisiting
| Game | Platform | Genre | Why It’s Great | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | PS2, PS4, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile | Open-world action | Three cities, RPG stats, and the most generous cheat list in the series | 9.5/10 |
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | PS2, PS4, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile | Open-world action | 1980s soundtrack and setting that has never been bettered | 9.5/10 |
| Grand Theft Auto III | PS2, PS4, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile | Open-world action | The game that invented the modern 3D open-world formula | 9.5/10 |
| Grand Theft Auto V | PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC | Open-world action | Three protagonists and Rockstar’s most polished sandbox | 9.7/10 |
| Saints Row 2 | PS3, Xbox 360, PC | Open-world action | Huge phone-dialled cheat list and full co-op campaign | 8.5/10 |
| Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition | PS4, Xbox One, PC | Open-world action | Undercover-cop story with superb melee combat | 8.0/10 |
| Mafia II: Definitive Edition | PS4, Xbox One, PC | Third-person action | Period-accurate 1940s and 50s crime drama | 7.5/10 |
| Yakuza 0 | PS4, Xbox, Switch, PC | Action RPG | Money is literally your combat resource in 1980s Japan | 9.0/10 |
How to enter the money cheat correctly on each platform
On PC, type HESOYAM in capitals or lowercase during free roam — not in a menu, not during a cutscene. The letters do not appear on screen as you type; only the “Cheat activated” message confirms success. Console players must enter the button sequence with roughly a second or less between presses, using the D-pad for directional inputs because analogue stick deflection registers unreliably. The PS2 original, the PS4 and Xbox re-releases, and the 2021 Definitive Edition all accept the same sequence, though the Definitive Edition also exposes a dedicated cheat menu on some platforms. Rapid, accurate sequence entry is easier on hardware that does not drop inputs, which is why the gaming controller buying guide is a reasonable companion read for anyone playing on a decade-old pad.
Other cheat codes worth knowing alongside HESOYAM
San Andreas has over eighty cheats, more than any other Rockstar game. BAGUVIX gives semi-infinite health. AEZAKMI clears your wanted level and keeps it clear. LXGIWYL, PROFESSIONALSKIT and UZUMYMW give the three weapon tiers. ASNAEB resets your wanted level to zero. AIYPWZQP hands you a jetpack, and ROCKETMAN gives a jetpack in some versions. OHDUDE spawns a Hunter attack helicopter, JUMPJET spawns a Hydra, and AIWPRTON spawns a Rhino tank — a striking contrast with GTA V, which has no tank cheat at all. CVWKXAM gives infinite oxygen, which makes the underwater collectibles far less painful.
Why the money cheat matters more in San Andreas
Unlike GTA V, San Andreas lets you spend money on things that meaningfully change play. Safehouses across all three cities cost real sums. Gym memberships, food, clothing from Binco through to Didier Sachs, tattoos, haircuts, weapon purchases from Ammu-Nation, and betting at the horse track and casinos all draw from your wallet. You can also lose money — getting busted or wasted costs a percentage — so a repeatable cash cheat removes the sting of failure entirely. That economic depth is the reason a money code exists here and not in GTA V, where Rockstar routed wealth through the Lester assassination stock-market missions instead. Long completion runs across three cities are noticeably smoother on quicker storage, which the SSD buying guide for gaming explains in practical terms.
Risks: what cheats can break in San Andreas
This is the important part, and most cheat lists skip it. San Andreas cheats are not clean toggles. Several of them permanently alter your save. Spawning vehicles during certain missions can break mission scripts. The pedestrian riot cheat cannot be switched off once activated in the original version. Cheats that alter wanted-level behaviour can interfere with mission triggers, and some cheats mark your save file so that certain statistics no longer track correctly. The universally recommended approach is to keep a separate save slot for cheat experiments and never overwrite your main progression file. In the Definitive Edition, using cheats also suspends achievement and trophy unlocks while active. If you are managing multiple save files across platforms, the external storage buying guide is genuinely useful.
Playing San Andreas in 2026
The game is available in three broad forms: the original PS2 and PC builds, the mobile and Xbox 360 remaster, and Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition on PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch and PC. Cheat entry differs slightly between them — mobile and some Definitive Edition versions use a menu rather than typed codes — but HESOYAM exists in all of them. The Definitive Edition also brought modern controls, checkpointing and updated lighting, which makes it the easiest entry point for newcomers, even if purists prefer the original’s atmosphere. Whichever version you choose, a display with decent handling of older render resolutions helps; the gaming monitor buying guide covers upscaling and response time, and the gaming headset buying guide is worth a look because the game’s licensed radio stations remain one of its greatest assets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly does the cheat code for money in GTA San Andreas give you?
HESOYAM grants $250,000 in cash, restores your health to full, and fills your body armour simultaneously. It is repeatable, so entering it multiple times stacks the money. On PlayStation the sequence is R1, R2, L1, X, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Right, Up.
Is there a money cheat in GTA 5 as well?
No. Rockstar deliberately omitted any cash cheat from GTA V on every platform. Single-player wealth comes from completing the Lester assassination missions and investing in the affected company stocks beforehand, which can generate hundreds of millions if timed properly.
Can cheats damage my San Andreas save file?
Some can. Certain cheats permanently flag the save, interfere with mission scripting, or cannot be deactivated once enabled in the original release. The safest approach is keeping a separate save slot purely for cheat experiments and never overwriting your main progression file.
Do cheats work in the Definitive Edition?
Yes, including HESOYAM. The Definitive Edition retains the classic cheat list and adds menu-based entry on some platforms, though achievements and trophies are suspended while cheats are active. The mobile release also uses a cheat menu rather than typed keyboard input.
