Bethesda's fantasy epic The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is now available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in the form of Skyrim: Special Edition. One key selling point of this visual enhanced version of the game is mod support on consoles, but how does one go about finding mods to further customize and improve the Skyrim experience?
That's what this handy guide is for. It's not a difficult process by any means, but it can be a little confusing if you're trying to get it all set up for the first time.
First things first, you'll need a Bethesda.net account. If you haven't made one already, just head over to the website and click the "Sign In" button in the uper right corner. From there you'll be able to create an account or sign into an existing one.
Once signed in, you'll be able to browse what mods are available for Skyrim or Fallout 4 for your given console of choice. The Xbox One version of Skyrim: Special Edition currently has far more options than the PS4 edition thanks to Sony's restrictive mod policy, but fans on both platforms should still be able to find some fun mods to mess around with. From the main Bethesda.net page, click the mods tab in the upper left corner of the screen and select Skyrim. On the next screen choose your console preference to see all the mods available on that given platform.
There are various other filters you can enable to narrow down your search if you're looking for something specific, or you can simply just browse through some of the most popular mods at the time. Once you find a mod you want to add to your game, click on the given mod and proceed to click the "Add to Library" button.
Now it's time to boot up Skyrim: Special Edition on your console. If this is the first time you're attempting to use mods for the game, you'll need to sign into your Bethesda.net account. Select "Mods" from the main game menu.
It's from this screen you can continue to browse mods or load up mods you want to use in-game. Mods added to your library from the website will appear at the top, while other popular mods appear at the bottom. Just like searching via Bethesda.net, you'll be able to narrow down your search further by using various filters.
If you've found some mods you want to load into your game, simply go to each mod's description page and select the download option. Note that some mods will require you to install mods in a certain order or have other requirements in order to make the mod work properly, so be sure to read all the fine print. It should also be noted that there is a limit to the number of mods you can have installed on either console. Xbox One supports up to 5GB worth of mods, while PS4 supports up to 1GB.
With all your mods downloaded and enabled, you can then return to the main menu. There you'll be prompted to reload the game files. Once that's done you're free to play the game proper and check out all the new features your various mods have added. If you ever forget what mods you are currently using, you can browse enabled mods via the "mods" section on the pause screen. If you want to actually disable a given mod you'll have to return to the mod portion of the main menu in order to do so.
That's essentially all you need to know about using mods for Skyrim: Special Edition on Xbox One and PS4. Mods open up all kinds of new possibilities, but remember you won't be able to earn trophies or achievements while using them. Have fun!
