The selection may be somewhat limited at launch, particularly on PS4.
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Skyrim: Special Edition unlocks in a matter of hours, launching on all three platforms--PS4, Xbox One, and PC--with mod support. Bethesda's website already has a list of all the mods that are currently available, giving you a chance to peruse before the game arrives.
Among those you'll currently find are ones adding a new difficulty level, removing health regeneration, expanding villages, and making named dogs invincible (because who needs a dead dog on their conscience?). If you come across any you're interested in on Bethesda's website, you can add them to your library right from there.
The 209 mods available as of this writing can all be seen here. Xbox One currently has the most with 100, while PS4 has by far the least, with just 27. (It's worth noting that PC players don't have to rely on Bethesda's workshop to download mods.) Xbox One and PS4 mods are more limited than those on PC, as the consoles have storage limits of 5 GB and 1 GB, respectively.
More importantly, PS4 mods are restricted to using in-game assets; modders can't create their own work from scratch or craft scripts that are often used for more complex creations (and some simpler ones). This limitation is seemingly part of the deal Bethesda struck with Sony in order to allow mods on the platform in Skyrim and Fallout 4.
Some modders have expressed a lack of interest in developing mods for PS4 due to the restrictions. It remains to be seen how much the PS4 mod scene will suffer, or if players disappointed with what's offered put additional pressure on Sony to ease up on its restrictions.
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If you already own The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and are thinking of trying Skyrim Special Edition, you may have questions about how the improved version of Bethesda's RPG will work in terms of mods, saved games, and most importantly, modded saved games.
Here's what we know, and it's not all good news. We'll update this post with any additional information we discover.
Skyrim and Skyrim Special Edition are two separate games
You probably know this one, but just in case: if you own Skyrim and its expansions, you'll get Skyrim Special Edition for free, and you don't need to worry about Skyrim SE overwriting or replacing your original copy of Skyrim.
They are two completely separate games. If you have saved games and installed mods for Skyrim, you will still be able to play them with your original copy of Skyrim after the Special Edition appears.
Existing unmodified saved games can be used with Skyrim SE
If you've got saved games from the original Skyrim, you can use them with Skyrim SE. According to an email from Bethesda, it's just a matter of copying and pasting the files:
'Existing save games from the original PC game will work in the PC version of Skyrim Special Edition. Simply copy your old saves from My Games/Skyrim to My Games/Skyrim Special Edition.'
So, you'll be able to pick up in the Special Edition right where you left off in the original. This is only for unmodded saved games, though, and here comes the bad news.
Modded saved games won't work at all with Skyrim SE
We've tested this a bit, and can confirm that saved games in which you used mods for the original Skyrim don't work with Skyrim SE.
Bethesda told us this in their email:
'Only use original saves that have never been used with mods. Do not use your original saved game if this error appears when you load it in Skyrim Special Edition: This save relies on content that is no longer present.'
Dave Talamas, Community Manager of Nexus Mods, had this to say:
'Though there is a remote chance that very particular save files which only depend on mods which have a SSE equivalent installed may work, this will not be relevant to the vast majority of mod users because their modded files will have one or more dependencies with a currently incompatible mod.
'Our advice for mod users is to expect to start fresh when it comes to playing SSE.'
Skyrim SE versions of SkyUI and Skyrim Script Extender are in the works
Skyrim Script Extender is a tool many mods rely on, as it expands both scripting capabilities and functionality for mods. Thing is, SKSE was created for the 32 bit Skyrim, and Skyrim Special Edition is 64 bit, meaning the current version of SKSE won't work with the Special Edition. There is now an alpha being tested for the SSE, however.
SkyUI, one of the best and most popular mods for Skyrim, and a mod that many other mods require for configuration, depends on SKSE to work. So, until there's a version of SKSE for the 64 bit version, there won't be a completely workable version of SkyUI for Skyrim SE (though there's an alpha version available for testing).
There are plenty of mods for Skyrim SE already
Since Skyrim and Skyrim SE are two different games, modders who post their Skyrim Mods on Nexus Mods need to essentially create duplicates of their work. Many have done this already—and Nexus Mods is making this process as easy as possible for them.
The Nexus Mods page for Skyrim SE is right here, so you can see what's currently available. Thankfully, prolific modder Arthmoor has a number of his mods ready to go, including an Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch, which like its predecessor, will fix a number of bugs that were present in the original Skyrim and have been carried over to the Special Edition.
Nexus Mod Manager now supports Skyrim SE
If, like me, you use Nexus Mod Manager, the Nexus Mods tool for managing your mods, it now supports Skyrim Special Edition.
You can download the new version of Nexus Mod Manager here.
We'll update this post with any additional information we come across.
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. Stick war 2 online. 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.
Cbbe Skyrim Special Edition Xbox One
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.
Cbbe For Skyrim Special Edition
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)
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.
Released | Platforms |
October 28, 2016 | Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC |
The Elder Scrolls 5: SkyrimSpecial Edition is a remastered and enhanced version of the venerable Bethesda RPG that was released across consoles and PC on October 28th, 2016.
Enhancements and Additions[edit]
The Special Edition of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim provides players with a bunch of enhancements, tweaks, and features. Below is a list of new features that are found in the remastered version:
- Remastered art and effects
- Volumetric God Rays
- Dynamic depth of field
- Screen-space reflections
- New snow shaders
- New water shaders
- Mod support for consoles*
- Includes all downloadable content
- Will be running an a 64 bit engine (PC)
Images from the announcement trailer showed gorgeous comparison shots of natural vistas between PS3/PS4 and Xbox 360/Xbox One, with new-generation hardware reflecting far greater details, sharpness, and a richer color palette.
Mod Support[edit]
SkyrimSpecial Edition will support mods for Xbox and PS4. A teaser at the E3 2016 press conference revealed a mod interface similar in design to that deployed in Fallout 4's console mod edition, including push-button implementation and a star-based rating system.
After temporarily pulling support, Sony agreed to support mods in the PS4 Edition of Skyrim Special Edition - although Microsoft will allow external assets (user-created models that don't appear in the game) while Sony will not.
In addition, the Xbox One allows for up to 5GB of mods to be installed, while PS4 only allows for 1GB, although most mods that use no external assets fail to exceed over 1MB in size.
What Else Has Changed?[edit]
Beyond the new console mod support and graphical enhancements, Skyrim Special Edition will not include any new significant quest content DLC.
Free Availability for Steam Users[edit]
Steam users who own Skyrim and all of its DLC content incluidng Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn, (or the Legendary Edition) will be able to upgrade to the Special Edition for free!
Want to transfer your old characters to the Special Edition? See How to Transfer PC saves to the Special Edition.
Complete Wiki Guide
[edit]
IGN has an immense Skyrim Wiki Guide to guide you through the truly immense world of The Elder Scrolls 5, including:
- A complete Walkthrough from start to finish, including every Side Quest for every guild, and even the Dawnguard and Dragonborn DLC questlines.
- Our very own Skill Builder to plan the perfect hero, complete with information on all the Skills and ways to level them up.
- Information on all the Guilds and Factions to help align your character, and gain new Followers.
- Everything you need to know about Marriage and finding the right Marriage Partners for your character.
- A complete interactive map of Skyrim - including all major Holds, with information on all the Locations and Notable People.
- The best Tips and Tricks to tackle the game like a pro, including Things to Do First, Things Not to Do, and Things Skyrim Doesn't Tell You.
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