There aren't usually a lot of ways that PS4 players end up in this situation, but they've actually been outclassed by Xbox fans in the mods department this time around thanks to Skyrim: Special Edition.
PlayStation 4 players are now playing catch up twice with this revamped Skyrim experience: once to meet the PC community's insane plethora of mods, and again to just get on par with the Xbox One, which had several months lead time on mod support over the PS4.
At the moment, there are only a paltry 1,600 PS4 Skyrim mods available, which might sound like a large number, but it's an infinitesimal fraction of what's been created since the game first arrived for PC six years back.
Many of the best Skyrim mods -- like the major bug fixes that address problems still present even after all the patches -- sadly haven't hit the PS4 just yet. There aren't a ton of mods that spice up the game's dialog options yet either, which is a shame as much like with Fallout 4, the dialog and story in Skyrim aren't quite up to par with the promise offered by this massive game world.
Despite those missing elements, there are still plenty of excellent PS4 Skyrim mods available 360 total security premium lisans kodu 2019 2. , and here we're rounding up the best of the best mods you should get on installing first.
If you want to see other fantastic Skyrim mods, check out this page.
Mod: Even Better Quest Objectives
Skyrim's vanilla (and exceedingly bare bones) quest objective screen barely tells you anything about your current quest other than the absolute basics.
It definitely pales in comparison to the lengthy journal entries of more hardcore RPGs, and the lack of information sort of dumbs down the game -- especially the Special Edition -- as you basically just follow the arrow until you hit the person you need to talk to or kill.
That particular issue is alleviated with this mod, which gives you a much clearer idea of who gave the quest, where they are located, and what you are supposed to do to specifically fulfill the quest objectives.
Portable speaker with microphone jack cable. Lightning headphonesDavid Carnoy/CNETWant to split the difference between a dongle and wired headphones?
Mod: Scroll Crafting
I sort of don't understand why this Special Edition mod wasn't in the base game. Who exactly is making these scrolls that you find everywhere -- and why can't the main character get in on the scroll-creating action?
Bethesda's vanilla Skyrim oversight is fixed by the modding community yet again, adding a new branch to the skill tree and the ability to craft a scroll for any spell. Besides the obvious utility function, this addition also makes it easier to have a pure magic build at earlier levels -- even before you have tons of magicka available.
Mod: Cooking, Brewing, and Alchemy Overhaul
An expansion to Skyrim's base crafting system, this nifty mod puts cooking pots and alchemy stations in every inn so you don't have to go hunting for them in any given settlement. But that's just the beginning.
The main draw of this mod is the brewstation, letting you brew drinks in addition to cooking the standard food options, while the number of food recipes is also bumped up significantly and a few ingredients have been added in as well.
If you've already crafted every type of food, try installing this Special Edition mod and keep your craft addiction going strong!
Mod: Hardcore Difficulty -- No Milkdrinkers
Is Skyrim too easy an experience for your walking siege engine of a Dragonborn? Does destroying enemies in the Special Edition get rote and tired? Not anymore!
If you are felling dragons and giants with ease -- and the town guards are no match for your Nord killing machine -- try out this mod to make things more deadly.
The main tweaks you'll find here are that your stamina and magicka will regenerate slower, while enemies will be tougher and block your attacks more often. It's an addition that really increases the stakes.
Mod: Alidon's Ultimate Armory
Definitely a “cheating” mod, this Skyrim: Special Edition mod is basically like accessing the secret console room in Fallout 4 -- but on steroids.
The extra area created by this mod gives you access to every vanilla item in the game, in addition to a host of custom items, spells, and followers. Topping it all off are doors to every hold, dungeon, and guild location. We'd suggest installing this one after you've either beaten the game or start a new playthrough.
Mod: Phenderix The Archmage Artifacts
These Skyrim “artifacts” are really just a simple way to cheat and get essentially infinite magicka. Equip one of the rings from this mod and you'll find yourself with an extra 100,000 magicka with which to sling an endless torrent of spells. So get on changing those iron ingots to gold and let loose with the fireballs already!
Mod: Extra Carry Weight
One of the most annoying things about these types of open world RPGs (other than de-emphasizing story and actual roleplaying choice) is that you always have more loot than you can conceivably carry back to town to sell or disenchant.
That won't be a problem with this very helpful PS4 mod, which gives an extra 2,500 pounds of carry-weight capacity for every point you put in stamina upon leveling up! Your mage will be able to sling a couple of hundred suits of armor over his shoulder and sell 'em all! If you've ever wanted to make more money in Skyrim, this is one of the better ways to do it.
Jan 22, 2016 Can anyone tell me if this alone would help you pass the 70-243 exam? I have a little experience in SCCM just wondered if I needed more learning material. So I have not used either one of those however I do know that the exam is designed for people with at least 2 year of experience with System Center 2012 Configuration Manager or equivalent. Introduction to System Center 2012, ConfigMgr 2012, and the 70-243 Exam (00:17:14) ConfigMgr 2012 is but one of the eight products that comprise Microsoft’s System Center portfolio. It is also one of the oldest, and potentially the most powerful. 70 243 exam.
Mod: Magical College of Winterhold
This immersion-based mod makes a series of tweaks to the college at Winterhold, so it feels more like a place actually inhabited by powerful wizards. In other words, Winterhold becomes a little more Hogwarts and a little less “dusty empty barn on top of the mountain.”
While it might not be a game-changing Skyrim mod, this one does lend more realism to the game -- which can go a long way after you've spent 200+ hours slaying dragons.
Mod: Surreal Lighting
With the serious possibility of spending hundreds of hours in-game, graphic overhaul mods are always a welcome addition to any RPG. However, they especially keep Skyrim looking interesting and gorgeous.
This much-praised lighting mod makes some changes to the base game so that outdoor areas have a brighter, more vibrant feel. Again, not a game-changing mod, but one that will make the Special Edition just a tad more special.
Mod: Rain and Snow FX
There may have been a graphics overall update with the release of the Special Edition, but there's still room for improvement -- and more ways to utilize the advanced power of current gen systems.
Creating more immersion with weather effects, this PlayStation 4 mod adds frost to your equipment when outside in cold areas, and also creates dripping particle effects when you run through water or stand outside in the rain.
Mod: Khajiit Speak Dialog Overhaul
An immersion mod to get you more into character if you picked the Khajiit race, this one modifies nearly every line of player dialog in the PS4 version of the game -- with a heavy dialect emphasis on Khajiit speech patterns.
Some of the additions are funny, while others are serious, and quite a few dig deep into the lore of The Elder Scrolls universe. Afterall, it's the ethos of the RPG genre to make you feel more like you're actually a living person in Skyrim.
Mod: Restore Vanilla Settings
As many a giddy PS4 fan has learned after going crazy installing new features, uninstalling mods isn't quite the same as it is on the PC version of Skyrim.
When you're done playing with all those nifty new mods, you might want to grab this one to scrub it all clean, especially if you went overboard and installed a bunch that don't play nice with each other.
This is a life-saving fallback if you're combating broken mods that have unintended consequences, accidentally preventing you from completing main story quests for one reason or another.
With more and more mods being added every day, it's only a matter of time before the PlayStation 4 version of Skyrim: Special Edition starts really competing with the Xbox One and PC versions.
While the number of mods right now is limited, there's still a massive amount of fun to be had trying out the options currently available on PS4.
What did you think of our PS4 Skyrim mod picks, and what mods would you recommend we try to keep us playing the game years later?
Published Jan. 4th 2017
Original Flavor
Looking for mods for the original version of Skyrim? We've selected over 100 of the best mods for improved visuals and optimization, new quests and locations, roleplaying and immersion, creatures and NPCs, and much more. Our list is here.
Since the last time we updated our list of the best Skyrim Special Edition mods the Skyrim Script Extender has been made compatible with it. You can download it here (it'll be labelled 'Current SE build'). Turn off automatic updates for Skyrim Special Edition once it's installed, as the creation club still receives patches which routinely break the Script Extender until modders update it.
With the Script Extender modders can now alter this version of Bethesda's RPG as drastically as Oldrim. Near-essentials like SkyUI are now available in this slightly prettier (it does have nicer shadows), and more stable (you can alt-tab as much as you like) version of Skyrim. To be fair, there were other changes as well, like these.
If you're playing the Skyrim Special Edition and looking for the best mods available, look no further. Some of these mods can be found on Bethesda's site and downloaded while in-game, but the links we'll post all point to the repository at Nexus Mods. Mods added in the latest update of this list have been marked with a ⭐.
Vortex ⭐
For downloading, installing, and managing these mods and others, we recommend Vortex. It's an extremely useful utility, and it works with a number of other games like Fallout 3 and 4, The Witcher series, the Darks Souls games, XCOM 2, and lots more.
SkyUI ⭐
The heavens parted, golden saints sang, and SkyUI was finally supported by Skyrim Special Edition. This interface replacer makes Skyrim feel like it was designed for mouse controls, and lets you filter and sort inventory based on weight, value, damage and the like. Also adds an in-game mod configuration menu several other mods rely on.
A Quality World Map ⭐
Skyrim's map is functional but boring. A Quality World Map offers multiple ways to fix it. It can replace the map with a much more detailed world texture, with colors that help delineate the separate areas much more obviously, but there's also an option to have a paper map, with a more Oblivion look, if that's your thing.
Legacy of the Dragonborn ⭐
Adds a gallery you can fill with unique items, a museum to your achievements that is also a library, a storage facility, a questline of its own, and a place to learn archeology complete with its own perks. While the original version of this Skyrim mod has been adapted across from Oldrim, there's also an update in the works specifically for Special Edition which will remap the building to make it larger and more like a real museum. It won't be compatible with the current version, so it might be worth holding off until Legacy V5 comes out.
The Asteria Dwemer Airship ⭐
There are player home mods to suit all tastes, but the Asteria is a particularly nice one—a flying ship with all mod cons, by which I mean storage space and crafting tables. It's permanently docked, however, and can't be moved around, though it does have a teleporter for a more immersive alternative to fast-travel. Flyable skyship mods still haven't made the jump over from vanilla Skyrim, unfortunately.
Inigo ⭐
Maybe you don't think a blue Khajiit who follows you around commenting on everything and being sarcastic about Lydia is what Skyrim needs, but trust us on this. Inigo is a follower with tons of dialogue, some tied to his own questline and more that crops up at appropriate times depending on the location you're at. He can be told where to go and what to do by whistling, and will follow you even if you've got an existing companion, chatting away with them thanks to skilfully repurposed voice lines.
Unofficial Skyrim Patch
This mod is a compendium of hundreds of fixes for bugs, text, objects, items, quests, and gameplay elements assembled by prolific modder Arthmoor. The patch is designed to be as compatible as possible with other mods. If you've got a few hours, you can read through the patch notes.
Opening Scene Overhaul
This mod, by elderscrolliangamer, changes and enhances Skyrim's opening sequence by restoring dialogue that Bethesda chose to cut, but which is still present in the game files. With that content restored, you'll learn more about the world you're preparing to inhabit by listening in on additional conversations and seeing full sequences that were snipped before release. Best of all, if you choose to side with the Stormcloaks, you'll actually be able to escape Helgen with Ulfric himself at your side.
Open Cities
It's more than a little immersion-breaking in Skyrim to enter a city through a gate and encounter a loading screen. Open Cities, by Arthmoor, aims for more of a Morrowind feel: the cities aren't instances, they're part of the larger world. Stroll right in—or ride in on horseback—without a break in your experience, and these cities will feel more like real places than loaded-in maps.
Phenderix Magic World
This impressively robust magic mod adds new locations like The School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the magical town of Manantis, and even a new magical dimension to explore. It also adds hundreds of new spells from all schools of magic, plus lots of magic weapons, over a dozen new followers, and a quest to get you started.
Alternate Start—Live Another Life
If you're playing Special Edition, you're starting from scratch whether you're a newcomer to Skyrim or a veteran. Why not start your new game as someone other than the Dragonborn? Alternate Start—again, by Arthmoor—is a roleplaying mod that gives you choices on how you'd like to begin your next playthrough. Are you a patron at in inn, a visitor arriving by boat, a prisoner in a jail cell, or the member of a guild? You can start as a soldier, an outlaw, a hunter, or even a vampire. It's a great way to re-experience Skyrim from a different perspective.
Relationship Dialogue Overhaul
This mod by cloudedtruth adds thousands of lines of voiced dialogue for NPCs, directed at making you feel as if you have a closer and more personal relationship with followers and friends. Your spouse, if you have one, will no longer sound like a random follower, but address you in a more personal manner, and those you've angered will have a host of new insults to hurl your way.
Diverse Dragons Collection
Despite the Special Edition's visual overhaul, its dragons are still a bit ho-hum. This mod, contributed to by a large collection of modders, adds 28 new and unique dragons with different models and textures, and capable of over a dozen new breath attacks and abilities. The dragons come in different ranks as well, to ensure you have a challenge no matter what your level.
Achievements Mod Enabler
Just because you're modding doesn't mean you're cheating (necessarily). So why does the SSE disable achievements if you've got mods running? Stick it to 'em by using this plugin from xSHADOWMANx that allows you to earn achievements even while using mods.
Static Mesh Improvements
While the SSE adds plenty of enhanced visuals, it doesn't do a thing to improve the original game's low-poly meshes. This mod edits hundreds of 3D models placed in thousands of different locations for items like furniture, clutter, architectural elements, and landscape objects to make them look nicer and more realistic.
Total Character Makeover
Skyrim's NPCs already looked dated when the game was first released, and they certainly haven't aged well. The SSE might improve the looks of the world, but it doesn't touch its citizens, so this mod from Scaria should be on your list. It gives everyone in the game (including your avatar) a facelift with more detailed textures that won't kneecap your framerate, and without making characters look out of place.
True 3D Sound for Headphones
'This mod enables true 3D sound for Skyrim SE by using a so called HRTF to simulate binaural hearing using normal stereo headphones. You will hear exactly from which direction a sound is coming from.' I don't know exactly what that first sentence means, but I understand the second one. Make the SSE more realistic for your ears with this mod from CptYouaredead.
You also might want to check out Immersive Sounds.
Frostfall and Campfire
Download link (Frostfall)
Download link (Campfire)
Looking to turn SSE into a survival experience? Then bundle up and look no further. These mods from Chesko make the frosty world of Skyrim more dangerous yet more immersive and enjoyable with a system that makes you manage your temperature in the cold climate. Hypothermia is an issue, especially if you swim through icy water, so you'll have to dress warmly, and camping elements include craftable tents, torches, and other gear. There's even a crafting skill system.
Also, check out Wet and Cold, which adds weather-dependent visual effects and sounds.
Cutting Room Floor
Another big mod from Arthmoor restores loads of content that exists in SSE's data files but wasn't implemented in the game. Numerous locations, NPCs, dialogue, quests, and items have been brought into the light, and the game is richer for it.
The Forgotten City
Skyrim's got lots of adventure, but here's about 10 hours more courtesy of writer and developer Nick Pearce. Play detective and solve a murder mystery while exploring a massive, ancient city. It's got excellent, award-winning writing, a non-linear story, fantastic voice acting by a large cast, an enjoyable original soundtrack, and even a touch of time travel. Here's our write-up of it.
Ars Metallica—Smithing Enhancement
Unless you're playing as a metal-plated tank who swings an enormous two-handed sword around, there's not a lot of use for smithing. Archers, thieves, and other stealthy characters have no issues finding light armor on their adventures, so there's never been much reason to make it themselves. This mod by Arthmoor gives slippery sorts reasons to learn smithing, by letting them forge arrows, lockpicks, and guild-specific armor, as well as melt down bulkier armor they'd never actually wear into ingots.
Original Flavor
Looking for mods for the original version of Skyrim? We've selected over 100 of the best mods for improved visuals and optimization, new quests and locations, roleplaying and immersion, creatures and NPCs, and much more. Our list is here.
Since the last time we updated our list of the best Skyrim Special Edition mods the Skyrim Script Extender has been made compatible with it. You can download it here (it'll be labelled 'Current SE build'). Turn off automatic updates for Skyrim Special Edition once it's installed, as the creation club still receives patches which routinely break the Script Extender until modders update it.
With the Script Extender modders can now alter this version of Bethesda's RPG as drastically as Oldrim. Near-essentials like SkyUI are now available in this slightly prettier (it does have nicer shadows), and more stable (you can alt-tab as much as you like) version of Skyrim. To be fair, there were other changes as well, like these.
If you're playing the Skyrim Special Edition and looking for the best mods available, look no further. Some of these mods can be found on Bethesda's site and downloaded while in-game, but the links we'll post all point to the repository at Nexus Mods. Mods added in the latest update of this list have been marked with a ⭐.
Vortex ⭐
For downloading, installing, and managing these mods and others, we recommend Vortex. It's an extremely useful utility, and it works with a number of other games like Fallout 3 and 4, The Witcher series, the Darks Souls games, XCOM 2, and lots more.
SkyUI ⭐
The heavens parted, golden saints sang, and SkyUI was finally supported by Skyrim Special Edition. This interface replacer makes Skyrim feel like it was designed for mouse controls, and lets you filter and sort inventory based on weight, value, damage and the like. Also adds an in-game mod configuration menu several other mods rely on.
A Quality World Map ⭐
Skyrim's map is functional but boring. A Quality World Map offers multiple ways to fix it. It can replace the map with a much more detailed world texture, with colors that help delineate the separate areas much more obviously, but there's also an option to have a paper map, with a more Oblivion look, if that's your thing.
Legacy of the Dragonborn ⭐
Adds a gallery you can fill with unique items, a museum to your achievements that is also a library, a storage facility, a questline of its own, and a place to learn archeology complete with its own perks. While the original version of this Skyrim mod has been adapted across from Oldrim, there's also an update in the works specifically for Special Edition which will remap the building to make it larger and more like a real museum. It won't be compatible with the current version, so it might be worth holding off until Legacy V5 comes out.
The Asteria Dwemer Airship ⭐
There are player home mods to suit all tastes, but the Asteria is a particularly nice one—a flying ship with all mod cons, by which I mean storage space and crafting tables. It's permanently docked, however, and can't be moved around, though it does have a teleporter for a more immersive alternative to fast-travel. Flyable skyship mods still haven't made the jump over from vanilla Skyrim, unfortunately.
Inigo ⭐
Maybe you don't think a blue Khajiit who follows you around commenting on everything and being sarcastic about Lydia is what Skyrim needs, but trust us on this. Inigo is a follower with tons of dialogue, some tied to his own questline and more that crops up at appropriate times depending on the location you're at. He can be told where to go and what to do by whistling, and will follow you even if you've got an existing companion, chatting away with them thanks to skilfully repurposed voice lines.
Unofficial Skyrim Patch
This mod is a compendium of hundreds of fixes for bugs, text, objects, items, quests, and gameplay elements assembled by prolific modder Arthmoor. The patch is designed to be as compatible as possible with other mods. If you've got a few hours, you can read through the patch notes.
Opening Scene Overhaul
This mod, by elderscrolliangamer, changes and enhances Skyrim's opening sequence by restoring dialogue that Bethesda chose to cut, but which is still present in the game files. With that content restored, you'll learn more about the world you're preparing to inhabit by listening in on additional conversations and seeing full sequences that were snipped before release. Best of all, if you choose to side with the Stormcloaks, you'll actually be able to escape Helgen with Ulfric himself at your side.
Open Cities
It's more than a little immersion-breaking in Skyrim to enter a city through a gate and encounter a loading screen. Open Cities, by Arthmoor, aims for more of a Morrowind feel: the cities aren't instances, they're part of the larger world. Stroll right in—or ride in on horseback—without a break in your experience, and these cities will feel more like real places than loaded-in maps.
Phenderix Magic World
This impressively robust magic mod adds new locations like The School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the magical town of Manantis, and even a new magical dimension to explore. It also adds hundreds of new spells from all schools of magic, plus lots of magic weapons, over a dozen new followers, and a quest to get you started.
Alternate Start—Live Another Life
If you're playing Special Edition, you're starting from scratch whether you're a newcomer to Skyrim or a veteran. Why not start your new game as someone other than the Dragonborn? Alternate Start—again, by Arthmoor—is a roleplaying mod that gives you choices on how you'd like to begin your next playthrough. Are you a patron at in inn, a visitor arriving by boat, a prisoner in a jail cell, or the member of a guild? You can start as a soldier, an outlaw, a hunter, or even a vampire. It's a great way to re-experience Skyrim from a different perspective.
Relationship Dialogue Overhaul
This mod by cloudedtruth adds thousands of lines of voiced dialogue for NPCs, directed at making you feel as if you have a closer and more personal relationship with followers and friends. Your spouse, if you have one, will no longer sound like a random follower, but address you in a more personal manner, and those you've angered will have a host of new insults to hurl your way.
Skyrim Mod Multiple CharactersDiverse Dragons Collection
Despite the Special Edition's visual overhaul, its dragons are still a bit ho-hum. This mod, contributed to by a large collection of modders, adds 28 new and unique dragons with different models and textures, and capable of over a dozen new breath attacks and abilities. The dragons come in different ranks as well, to ensure you have a challenge no matter what your level.
Achievements Mod Enabler
Just because you're modding doesn't mean you're cheating (necessarily). So why does the SSE disable achievements if you've got mods running? Stick it to 'em by using this plugin from xSHADOWMANx that allows you to earn achievements even while using mods.
Static Mesh Improvements
While the SSE adds plenty of enhanced visuals, it doesn't do a thing to improve the original game's low-poly meshes. This mod edits hundreds of 3D models placed in thousands of different locations for items like furniture, clutter, architectural elements, and landscape objects to make them look nicer and more realistic.
Total Character Makeover
Skyrim's NPCs already looked dated when the game was first released, and they certainly haven't aged well. The SSE might improve the looks of the world, but it doesn't touch its citizens, so this mod from Scaria should be on your list. It gives everyone in the game (including your avatar) a facelift with more detailed textures that won't kneecap your framerate, and without making characters look out of place.
True 3D Sound for HeadphonesSkyrim Character Creation Mod Xbox 360
'This mod enables true 3D sound for Skyrim SE by using a so called HRTF to simulate binaural hearing using normal stereo headphones. You will hear exactly from which direction a sound is coming from.' I don't know exactly what that first sentence means, but I understand the second one. Make the SSE more realistic for your ears with this mod from CptYouaredead.
You also might want to check out Immersive Sounds.
Frostfall and Campfire
Download link (Frostfall)
Download link (Campfire)
Looking to turn SSE into a survival experience? Then bundle up and look no further. These mods from Chesko make the frosty world of Skyrim more dangerous yet more immersive and enjoyable with a system that makes you manage your temperature in the cold climate. Hypothermia is an issue, especially if you swim through icy water, so you'll have to dress warmly, and camping elements include craftable tents, torches, and other gear. There's even a crafting skill system.
Also, check out Wet and Cold, which adds weather-dependent visual effects and sounds.
Cutting Room FloorMxr Mods Skyrim Character Model
Another big mod from Arthmoor restores loads of content that exists in SSE's data files but wasn't implemented in the game. Numerous locations, NPCs, dialogue, quests, and items have been brought into the light, and the game is richer for it.
The Forgotten City
Skyrim's got lots of adventure, but here's about 10 hours more courtesy of writer and developer Nick Pearce. Play detective and solve a murder mystery while exploring a massive, ancient city. It's got excellent, award-winning writing, a non-linear story, fantastic voice acting by a large cast, an enjoyable original soundtrack, and even a touch of time travel. Here's our write-up of it.
Ars Metallica—Smithing Enhancement
Unless you're playing as a metal-plated tank who swings an enormous two-handed sword around, there's not a lot of use for smithing. Archers, thieves, and other stealthy characters have no issues finding light armor on their adventures, so there's never been much reason to make it themselves. This mod by Arthmoor gives slippery sorts reasons to learn smithing, by letting them forge arrows, lockpicks, and guild-specific armor, as well as melt down bulkier armor they'd never actually wear into ingots.
By Jon Ryan
Overhauling a game with mods can be an intimidating process, but the only thing you really need in order to make Skyrim shine is patience. Since each mod needs to be properly installed and configured, it can take hours to get everything in working order - certain methods of beautifying the game, such as S.T.E.P., or the Skyrim Total Enhancement Project, have been known to take as long as eight to ten hours to fully configure. Rather than force you, dear modder, to spend those precious hours that could be better used actually playing Skyrim, here is our list of the 15 (and then some) best mods to use that will drastically improve your adventurous experience.
You can read about all the mods below, or watch the video above (complete with plenty of heavily-modded Skyrim eye-candy).
Let There be Light
Installing Boris Voronstov's ENBseries modification and configuring it is actually far simpler than one would expect - simply download the necessary files and copy them into your main Skyrim game folder ( if you're using Steam, this is usually C:/Program Files/Steam/SteamApps/Common/Skyrim ), and then run the game and configure your own personal settings. You can also download a preset created by a member of the community. The one we've used is by Nexus member Opethfeldt, though other excellent choices would be RealVision or Seasons of Skyrim.
Once you've gotten your ENB set up and have begun installing your other modifications, consider also adding a lighting mod or two (if they're compatible) that will enhance the local light sources in-game - torches, lanters, candles and so on. We're using Enhanced Lights and FX by NM user anamorfus alongside Ultimate HD Fire Effects.
What a Wonderful World
Once you've installed your ENB and preset of choice, then the real work begins. There are hundreds of texture mods and updates for flora, fauna, armor, weapons and more that players can choose to include in their game, but here are our recommendations for must-have mods when trying to make Skyrim look beautiful:
There are many other mods that affect the game world's plant life - Glorious Grasses, SkyRealism and Vurt's Flora Overhaul are all great, but if you can only run two we recommend LT and GF, as they look best during actual gameplay. For quality visuals at a distance, be sure to install one of the many distant LOD (Level Of Detail) mods, such as Enhanced Distant Terrain, HD Enhanced Terrain or the Skyrim Distance Overhaul. Additionally, be sure to install a water mod to ensure you aren't stuck swimming around the boring vanilla rivers - we're using Pure Waters, though the Water and Terrain Enhancement Redux (WATER) is another excellent option.
Beautiful People
The NPCs in standard Skyrim look.. well, a bit off. Giving them a hearty facelift is somewhat of a necessity if you're attempting to update the game graphically - and can be one of the most challenging aspects of your mod configuration. Dozens of plugins and texture packs (some are NSFW) exist to do just this, and many are compatible with other mods. In our configuration, we're using the Xenius Character Enhancement (XCE) mod coupled with No More Blocky Faces, which smooths out the originally pixelated facial textures. We're also using Xenius's Better Beast Races, which overhauls the look of the Argonian and Khajiit characters ( though we also recommend using CoverKhajiits) to improve the nonhuman models. To spruce up the human characters, we've installed Better Females by BellaGail, as well as some various face texture and mesh replacers for the male NPCs, such as Detailed Faces and Beards.
These are far from the only mods out there to be used in the beautification of Skyrim - remember, patience is the only necessary component to making this game look great. Well, patience.. and the literally hundreds, if not thousands, of mods that are at your disposal. For more modding suggestions, game secrets and more, be sure to check out our full Skyrim wiki the next time you visit Tamriel.
Any graphical mods you can't adventure around Skyrim without? Let us know in the comments!
Jon Ryan spends more time modding Skyrim than actually playing it. Don't be like him - but do follow him on IGN and Twitter.
When it launched back in November of 2011, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim was a very impressive game. Boasting one of the biggest open worlds players had ever seen and a ton of content, this was the pinnacle of Bethesda‘s work thus far, earning numerous Game of the Year awards.
However, once the game opened up to mods it began to improve exponentially. Modders found ways to tweak the gameplay and the animation, but most importantly they were able to take Skyrim from a good-looking game to a great looking game.
Now that some three years has passed since Skyrim‘s launch, most would figure that the mod community has dropped off, but that’s not the case. Rather, folks like TESRenewal are still dedicating hours of their day to either making Skyrim better or adding new content to the game. Just look at the Skywind and Skyblivion mods that are in the works.
Moreover, modders are still trying to find ways to improve the visuals in Skyrim, as indicated by the images seen in the gallery above. NOTE: These are in-game screenshots that have not been altered in any way.
Obviously, while we say that the images have not been altered via image editing software like Photoshop, they do come from heavily modded versions of Skyrim. Unfortunately, we don’t know what specific mods each user had active, only that whatever they were puts the game on par with current-gen visuals. To see the full, 18-image selection readers can head over to the Faces of Skyrim Exhibition, which pools together some of the best screenshots featuring character faces.
As we mentioned, Skyrim has always been a fine looking game, but one that impresses with its scope and scale more so than it’s fidelity and animations. However, the modding community has found ways to prop up those features as well.
At some point, though, we hope to see what Bethesda has in store for the next entry in The Elder Scrolls saga both because there are new systems on the market and also because it will give modders a new platform to play around with.
What Skyrim mod has impressed you the most? Which mods are musts for new PC players?
–
Source: Flicker
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |