Unfortunately, on PS4, mods are more limited—Bethesda says that PS4 mods will not be able to use “ external assets,” which is a bummer. Some of the most famous, classic Skyrim mods, like the one that replaces Dragons with Thomas the Tank Engine, use all sorts of outside assets.
If you are into video games at all, especially PC gaming, mods have become a must-have for every game. In fact, for many of us it is hard to imagine life without mods. Except, of course, if you use a console and don’t get to experience them.
Enter Skyrim: Special Edition, which brings mods to gamers on both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles. Here are the 10 best mods available for both Xbox One and the PS4 (in no particular order):
Lore-Based Loading Screens
Brought to us by Chesko with help from the lovely (and nerdy) minds at /r/teslore, this mod turns the usual boring loading screens into messages focused on the lore surrounding Skyrim. The player can now immerse themselves deeper into the history of Tamriel instead of learning the same useless game tidbits every time you enter a new building.
Less Aggressive Animals
This one might make me sound like a bit of a milkdrinker here, but hear me out. There is nothing more annoying that the time-wasting moments when a bunch of mudcraps randomly attack you despite your full Deadric armor. Sure, you kill them easily and it’s no big deal, but I like to cut out some of that wasted time and spend it on more useful things like killing dragons.
Arcadia’s Farm
Arcadia’s Farm gives you a nice working farm right across the road from the stable in Whiterun with 25 spots to grow your own plants. It also gifts you a female merchant/gardener named Olive who has a nice custom list of items for sale. There is also plenty of storage which is a plus.
Supreme Storms
Ever felt like the storms in Skyrim were weak? Yeah, well, that’s fixed here. Visibility is greatly reduced during strong storms and you can almost feel the cold during the snowstorms. It’s one of those things that just makes the world of Skyrim feel so real.
Reverb and Ambience Overhaul
If you have a great pair of headphones or excellent speakers, I cannot recommend this mod enough. It truly immerses you in Skyrim, with incredibly realistic sounds at every turn. Seriously, just get this one.
Cloud Storage
It’s like the iCloud, except I don’t store my nudes there. But seriously, this mod lets you store supplies in a “stash” chest that you can access from numerous points on the map. There is a crate at every in as well as at each market and a few other spots across Skyrim to make your gear easily accessible.
Realistic Conversations
Tired of NPCs being so incredibly boring and unrealistic? Well, this won’t entirely fix that. I mean, c’mon, not even Talos could fix that. What this mod does do, however, is attempt to make them as realistic as possible in their interaction with each other. This is definitely a mod worth getting if you play with your sound on (and who doesn’t?).
Cheat Mod
Yeah. I know. Cheats. I should probably hide before the hardcore gamers come out to crucify me, but this one is really helpful to players who don’t want to spend countless hours searching for the right crafting parts. It places almost every crafting ingredient imaginable in containers right near the Warmaiden’s forge in Whiterun and it also adds a trapdoor which allows you to enter Qasmoke (where you can find quite literally every item in the game). If you are playing this game just for the lolz, this is a good one to get.
Phenderix Magic Evolved
Like magic? Of course you do. How about over 370 new spells? Sound fun? Well, PME gives you that, revolutionizing the magic experience in Skyrim. There are numerous ways to learn the new spells, but if you are lazy you can always go to the cheat chest next to Farengar in Whiterun’s Dragonreach.
Rich Merchants of Skyrim: Special Edition
Finally, no more having to travel from merchant to merchant to sell off those precious items you have collected. Grinding for gold can be a struggle, especially at the beginning of the game, so this mod helps out with that. It’s incredibly simple but also incredibly helpful, especially for new players.
Skyrim Special Editionis finally upon us, bringing the five-year-old classic into a new generation with all additional DLC, updated graphics, and, of course, mods. Lots and lots of beautiful mods!
The game is available on Xbox One and PS4, and while PS4 gamers won’t get as varied access to mods as Xbox One gamers (blame Sony for that, folks), there are still a number of mods available to PS4 gamers to sink their teeth into and improve their experience with.
Unfortunately, PS4 mods can’t use external access, which has limited the current number to around 50 at time of writing, whereas the Xbox One number is hovering around 100. You get an extra 5GB of internal game space for mods on Xbox One, compared to 1GB on PS4. There’s no doubting that the better Skyrim Special Edition experience of the two is on Xbox One.
Initially, Sony didn’t allow user-created mods, but a compromise was met for Fallout 4, which will allow users to create mods using the Creation Kit. As mentioned above, however, PS4 users will be restricted to using in-game assets only.
Once you get your grubby hands on Skyrim Special Edition, be sure to check out these mod essentials listed below. Firstly, let’s get the basics out of the way.
How to use and install Skyrim Special Edition mods
Step 1
Visit Bethesda.net and scroll through the list of mods to find one that you like.
Step 2
When you find a mod that you like, click “Add To Library”.
Step 3
Sign in to your Bethesda account, or create a new account, and connect it to your Xbox Live or PSN account.
Step 4
Download and install the mod on your console!
Skyrim Special Edition mod essentials
This list will guide you through some absolute mod essentials you need for your Skyrim Special Edition experience. Most of the mods listed below are only available on Xbox One. Some may also not work as intended when combined with other active mods.
Skyrim Scroll Crafting
This mode allows you to craft every scroll in the game using basic items that you find throughout the game world. It also has its own perk through the Enchanting skill tree. A useful little mod that does away with the hours of grinding only to end up with decent spell.
Campfire: Complete Camping System
This mod immediately grants you two new Survival Skills: Resourcefulness and Instincts. Building a campfire can grant XP bonuses, and allow you to stalk nearby prey using your newly acquired Instincts skill. It has its own stand-alone skill system, which can be accessible from any lit campfire.
The Forgotten City
This award-winning mod offers an additional 6-8 hours of unique story-based gameplay. It follows a murder mystery investigation set in an ancient underground city. It’s entirely non-linear and allows you to explore the city, offering multiple endings, an original orchestral score, and a professionally voiced dialogue.
Aethernautics: A Space Travel Mod
This unique mod offers a large, open dungeon for players to explore, as well as a new, unmarked quest to find and reactive the lost Aethership. There are new weapons, items and areas to visit, and the ship can be used once you activate it.
M.H.A.R.P.H.I.N. SE
This mod introduces you to M.H.A.R.P.H.I.N., a new mechanically morose counterpart. There’s more than 2000 lines of dialogue, as well as a large quest featuring up to 8 hours of additional gameplay, with custom dungeons, puzzles, spells and armor to explore and discover.
Alternate Start – Live Another Life
This is one of the more unique and thought-provoking mods for Skyrim. You start your life out as someone other than a prisoner, and follow an intriguing tale as you go out on your adventure. If you’re going to try one custom expansion, make sure it’s this one.
Blackreach Railroad
More story, more quests, more dungeons, more skills, more weapons, more armor … MORE EVERYTHING! Also adds a working train level, meaning you have an alternative to the standard fast travel system.
Rich Merchants Of Skyrim
A simple mod than grants every merchant 10,000 gold, meaning they are no longer mostly too poor to buy your stuff! Works with most mods so long as other active ones don’t change merchant gold level.
Dovahkiin Keep
A large castle that can hold a lot or armor and weapons with well over 100 Mannequins, allowing you to create every possible armor combination you can come up with.
Open Cities Skyrim
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Open Cities Skyrim is an ambitious project that brings back the “feel of Morrowind”, allowing you to walk into different parts of the world without loading screen. The mod promises to add to the immersion and realism of the experience.
Recommend any Skyrim Special Edition mods? Sound off in the comments below!