How To Download Mods For Skyrim Special Edition Updated

How To Download Mods For Skyrim Special Edition

This guide volition walk newcomers to modding through the steps necessary to find, download, and install our mod manager Vortex as well as the following mods for Skyrim Special Edition:

• Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch (USSEP)
• Sky UI
• Immersive Armors
• Immersive Weapons
• A Quality World Map

These mods were selected to give you a skilful modding foundation and in order to convey some bones knowledge regarding Skyrim modding.

Annotation: you may cull to install other/more mods than the ones listed higher up, but delight note that this guide is focused on describing the exact process for those verbal mods.

Contents

• 1 Installing our Modernistic Managing director Vortex from the website
• 2 Vortex Initial Setup
  • 2.1 Starting up Vortex
  • two.2 Link your Nexus Mods account to Vortex (required)
  • 2.3 Search for, find, and manage a game (required)
  • two.four Change your Download Binder and/or Mod Staging Folder (optional)
    • two.four.one Download Folder
    • 2.4.2 Modernistic Staging binder
  • 2.five Downloading and installing mods via Vortex
    • 2.5.1 Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch
    • 2.v.2 Heaven UI (and SKSE64)
    • 2.v.3 Downloading and installing SKSE64
    • 2.5.4 Immersive Armors and Immersive Weapons
    • ii.v.five A Quality Earth Map
  • 2.6 Summary and Review
    • 2.6.i Downloading mods
    • 2.6.ii Installing mods
    • 2.6.iii Mods and plugins
    • 2.6.four Mod Configuration Carte

Installing our Mod Manager Vortex from the website

• Become to NexusMods.com and click Mods > Get Vortex in the superlative navigation.

• Click "Download the latest version now".

• In the file section, download the file at the top described as "One-click installer" for Vortex (Manual Download). This is the preferred and recommended way of installing Vortex.

• Once the download is finished, open the *.exe file to run the installation. Notation: some misconfigured anti virus programs might rename the *.exe to something else, in that case, rename the downloaded file to *.exe and open it to run the installation.
• Vortex volition install on C: (note that this is just Vortex and the files information technology requires to function which amount to around lxx MB). You may choose within Vortex later on where you want to download your mods to.

Vortex Initial Setup

Once Vortex is installed, in that location are a few steps to be taken in order to set it up to manage and download mods for Skyrim Special Edition. There are also some things that you might (optionally) want to customise to your liking.

Starting up Vortex

One time installed, commencement upwards Vortex via the shortcut on your Desktop. Upon initialising, Vortex will automatically associate itself with Nexus Mods download links and inform you lot of that via a notification in the top right corner:

This is necessary and so Vortex can be used to download mods direct from Nexus Mods via the corresponding "Download: Vortex" push on a given modern page.

Equally Vortex does this automatically upon startup, no action on your end is required.

Link your Nexus Mods account to Vortex (required)

Open up Vortex and click the red icon in the top correct corner.

In the next dialogue window that comes up, click "Log In On Website" to open a new page in your browser:

If no new page is loaded in your browser, copy and paste the link displayed by Vortex into your browser's accost bar:

Click the "Authorise" button to let Vortex to sign in.

Congratulations! Yous have now successfully linked your Nexus Mods account to Vortex.

Notation: if authorising via the website fails, you can try to log in manually. To do so, click on the hyperlink that reads "Not working? Try manual login."

Follow the instructions on screen to copy and paste your API key from your API access folio (https://www.nexusmods.com/users/myaccount?tab=api+access):

In one case yous hitting "Relieve" y'all should have successfully linked your account with Vortex and your Nexus Mods profile should brandish your avatar.

Search for, notice, and manage a game (required)

Vortex is capable of managing mods for dozens of different games. That being said, Vortex does not simply automatically take over modernistic management for a particular game - in case y'all would rather manage it yourself or with another tool. Therefore, in order to use Vortex the starting time thing nosotros want to practice after installation is to tell information technology to actively manage Skyrim Special Edition.

To exercise that, navigate to the "Games" department from the side carte du jour.There you volition see iii different tabs:

• Managed - Games currently handled by Vortex.
• Discovered - Games Vortex has found on your hard bulldoze.
• Supported - All games Vortex supports that are neither discovered nor managed (yet).

If your installed game does not appear in the "Discovered" tab, you can have Vortex attempt to notice information technology by running either a quick scan (from the toolbar) or a detailed scan (from the button at the bottom right of the Vortex window). A detailed scan may take several minutes to complete, so, please, be patient while Vortex is searching for the game.

One time your game appears in the "Discovered" tab, put your mouse over the game tile and click "Manage". Vortex volition automatically switch to that game mode and a tile representing Skyrim Special Edition will appear in the top left.

Change your Download Folder and/or Modernistic Staging Folder (optional)

Download Binder

While Vortex will ever install the files it needs in order to piece of work to your C bulldoze, you lot are free to cull the location where y'all want your downloaded mods (i.e. the file athenaeum) to be stored.

To modify the default download location which is "C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Vortex\downloads" go to your Settings > Download:

Yous can specify any folder on your bulldoze. Brand sure to confirm your selection by clicking "Employ".

Mod Staging binder

This is the folder where Vortex stages your mods i.east. unpacks them to. Due to how the Bethesda games work (including Skyrim and Skyrim Special Edition), the Modernistic Staging Folder must exist on the same partition every bit the game.

The default location for the Modern Staging Folder is "C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Vortex\skyrimse\mods". To change it, get to Settings > Mods and change the folder to an (empty) binder of your choice that is located on the same partition as the game.

You tin change both your Download Binder also equally your Modernistic Staging Folder at a afterward point in fourth dimension and fifty-fifty when you have already downloaded and installed mods. Depending on the amount of mods yous accept downloaded and/or installed, it will take a while for Vortex to motility your binder(southward). Delight make sure that enough deejay space is available and remain patient, equally your mods will be copied over.

Downloading and installing mods via Vortex

In the following, we will go over the necessary steps involved in order to get mods from the website downloaded, installed, and enabled via Vortex.

Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch

Navigate to the Skyrim Special Edition department on the website. If your search is sorted by endorsements (default), the "Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch" should appear every bit the first mod in the list for results.

(Alternatively, you can blazon "Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch" in the search bar at the top correct or use this link to get to the modernistic folio straight: https://world wide web.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/266)

Open upwards the mod page by clicking the mod tile. In the peak right, you will see a download push labelled "Download: Vortex". Clicking this button will trigger a download of the mod'southward main file via Vortex, provided that Vortex is set upwardly to handle download links (see in a higher place).

Once the download has been started, it volition appear in your download list for Skyrim Special Edition inside Vortex (side bar / navigation area > DOWNLOADS).

As presently as the download is finished, Vortex will brandish a notification in the top correct corner informing you of the download finishing and giving you the option to install the mod correct away (clicking "Dismiss" will only dismiss the notification, the mod has nonetheless been downloaded successfully and you lot can still install information technology at a later betoken in time if y'all want to).

Click on the button labelled "Install" to start the installation process for the Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch, which should only have a couple of seconds (this varies depending on how many files a modern installs, how big those files are etc.).

One time the installation is consummate, the mod is set up to exist enabled. Vortex will now display another notification where you lot can cull to enable the installed mod past clicking the "Enable" push button:

Clicking the "Enable" push will practice the following:

1. Information technology will fix the mod's condition to "Enabled"
2. If the setting "Deploy Mods when Enabled" is agile (which is the example by default when Vortex is first installed) information technology will deploy the mod'south files to your game'south information folder (where the mod files loaded past the game need to be).
3. If the enabled mod comes with a plugin (usually an esp file) it will enable the plugin from that modernistic besides.

Notation: While many mods for Skyrim Special Edition (as well as other Bethesda games) come up with a plugin, non every mod does. When we say "mod" information technology refers to the entirety of the modification including all the files it provides to accomplish a game-altering effect. A "plugin" on the other paw is a detail file (esp, esm, or esl) that contains information and edits that the game can load (e.g. the position of a mod-added stone in the world). Oft, mods such every bit retextures merely come with texture files that supplant existing textures in the game and exercise not crave a plugin to function.
On the other hand, some mods consist of merely a plugin file (simple patches or bugfixes that require no boosted files), and no other files.

If you followed the steps outlined above, your plugin list in Vortex (Sidemenu / navigation expanse > Plugins) should now look like this:
Congratulations! Yous accept just successfully installed your starting time modern.

Considerations:

If you have accidentally dismissed the notification that asks whether you lot want to install the just downloaded mod, you lot tin still practice so via the "Downloads" section: side menu / navigation area > Downloads > Install

If you want to disable the mod, you need to navigate to your mod listing (not plugin listing) and disable the mod from there. This will "undeploy" (purge) all the modern's files and remove them from your game's mod binder. Note that you will not accept to reinstall the mod if you lot make up one's mind later that you still desire to employ it (you would simply have to reenable it).

Simply disabling the plugin rather than the mod, will only disable the esp, only the other files (if there are any, some mods consist of simply a plugin file) will remain in your game's mod folder potentially nevertheless affecting your game. Disabling plugins can exist a quick manner to troubleshoot problems in your load society, but it is not the advised mode of uninstalling mods.

Sky UI (and SKSE64)

Sky UI is a mod that primarily overhauls the interface for Skyrim Special Edition, but more than than that it is required for many other mods and adds a convenient mod menu (MCM - Mod Configuration Card) to the game. Information technology is, therefore, highly recommended. In club to install Sky UI, you volition accept to download and install SKSE64 (Skyrim Script Extender 64) the script extender for Skyrim Special Edition. These steps will walk you through downloading, installing, and setting upward both Sky UI and SKSE64.

1. Get to the Sky UI mod folio on the website (https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/12604).
2. In the pinnacle right, click the button that reads "Download: Vortex"
3. Since Sky UI has a pre-requisite (SKSE64) information technology will open up up another module informing y'all of the requirement:
4. For now, permit the states focus on downloading Sky UI (nosotros will download and install SKSE64 afterward that). Clicking the "Download" button in the module to a higher place volition download Sky UI via Vortex.
5. Once it is downloaded, click "Install" on the notification Vortex will bring upwards:
   
6. The installation should only take a few seconds. Once it is done, enable the mod past clicking "Enable" in the post-obit notification:

We have now successfully installed and enabled Sky UI. Even so, as we have not yet installed its requirement (SKSE64) yet, it volition not function properly in the game.

Downloading and installing SKSE64

1. Go back to your tab with the download module opened (or bring it up over again by clicking the "Download: Vortex" button).
2. Click on the highlighted bit that reads "SKSE64" to bring up http://skse.silverlock.org/ where SKSE64 is hosted:
3. Click the hyperlink to download the 7z archive for the Current SE build:
4. Open up the 7z annal yous accept simply downloaded with your preferred application (e.g. 7-zip). Therein, you volition discover a binder named e.g. "skse64_2_00_12". Open this folder and extract its contents into your Skyrim Special Edition root binder (where the game's exe is located) e.g. "C:Plan Files (x86)/Steam/SteamApps/Common/SkyrimSpecialEdition"
5. You volition know if you take extracted SKSE64 correctly if skse64_loader.exe ends up in your game's root binder (the same folder SkyrimSE.exe is in).

The only thing left to practice now is to set Vortex to run Skyrim Special Edition via the SKSE64 launcher, which is as well required in order to use the features SKSE64 introduces (and which many mods, including Heaven UI, rely on).

To do so, go to the Vortex Dashboard and click the refresh button () on the starter dashlet. If you followed the above steps and extracted SKSE64 to the correct folder, Vortex should be able to discover SKSE64 and fill in the previously greyed out tool. Once that is done, click on the iii dots next to the newly added tool and select "Make primary":

Vortex will indicate a tool that has been set as primary past calculation a piffling banner next to its icon on the starter dashlet.
Setting SKSE64 as principal will instruct Vortex to always run SKSE64 whenever yous launch the game via Vortex from the play push button in the meridian left corner:

It is required to launch the game with this setting in gild for SKSE64 to be active, which is a requirement for many mods including Sky UI, which is a

If you have followed this guide correctly until now, your plugin list should now await like this:

Annotation that SKSE64, while correctly installed, volition not appear either in the plugins list nor the mod list. This is because we have installed SKSE64 manually past extracting its contents directly into the game binder, rather than using Vortex to practice that. While it is possible to utilize Vortex to install SKKSE64 (or other script extenders) information technology requires a few extra steps and is only recommended for intermediate modders.

For a epitomize on how to install SKSE64 manually, as well as for instructions on how to install it via Vortex, please consult our wiki: Tool Setup: Script Extenders.

Immersive Armors and Immersive Weapons

Immersive Armors and Immersive Weapons are ii mods that add together plenty of lore-friendly armours and weapons to the base game in a seamless mode.

Become to the folio for Immersive Armors (https://world wide web.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/3479) and click the "Download: Vortex" button to trigger the download. Different the Unofficial Patch, Immersive Armors is a big mod (1 GB) so it might take a while to finish downloading.

You tin monitor your download in the Downloads section within Vortex, or in the bottom left corner where your active downloads are displayed:

One time the download is finished, click the install button on the notification that comes up - just like with the Unofficial Patch and Heaven UI:

Since this is a large mod, extracting the files might accept a while, and so, please, exist patient equally Vortex prepares the installation.

Immersive Armors comes with something that is oftentimes referred to equally a "scripted installer" or "FOMOD", which is, substantially, a little mod installation card that allows you to option and cull various options. How involved it is, how many steps at that place are, and how many options to choice from, depends on the mod itself. The "scripted installer" for Immersive Armors is adequately simple and will announce itself to you like this:
images

As it says on the screen, if yous are using the UNP trunk mod, tick the box adjacent to "Install UNP Support". Since, for the purpose of this guide, nosotros are not using that body mod, simply click "Stop" in the bottom right without ticking the checkbox.

Once that is done, we are set up to enable the mod. To do so, click "enable" in the notification displayed by Vortex:
images

Other than Sky UI and the Unofficial Patch, even so, Immersive Armors comes with multiple plugin files and Vortex will, therefore, at present ask you whether y'all desire to enable them all:

Whether it is safe to enable all plugins on a given mod or non, cannot be answered in full general. Some mods will provide several plugins in order to give players options. For example, a grass mod might come with a plugin for long grass, ane for medium grass, and one for short grass. In that instance, you will want to but option 1 plugin to enable.

Other times, mods will include one plugin for the mod, and several other plugins every bit patches and so the mod works well together with other mods. In those cases, you lot should only enable plugins corresponding to mods that yous actually take in your load club.
Lastly - and this is the example with Immersive Armors' plugins - some mods may come with multiple plugins where one plugin is the main plugin for the modern, and other plugins adding additional, optional features. Enabling all of those volition non cause harm, simply information technology is up to yous to make up one's mind whether you lot desire those additional features in your game.

As Vortex cannot make the determination for you, it is best to consult the mod author's clarification to get an idea of what the additional plugins are intended to do.

As for Immersive Armors, if you navigate to your plugins view, yous volition find two unlike plugins (Hothtrooper44_ArmorCompilation.esp and Hothtrooper44_Armor_Ecksstra.esp) which are currently disabled (and, therefore, not sorted):
image

It is safe to enable both of them by either selecting "Enable all" in the Vortex notification, or by toggling them to "Enabled" individually by clicking on their status push button (grey button that reads "Disabled").

And that'southward information technology! Yous take successfully installed Immersive Armors now.

If yous have followed the guide to this point properly, you should be able to run across the Immersive Armors configurations menu ingame at present. Start the game via the play push on the Skyrim SE tile in the top left. Load up a save or offset a new game.

In the summit left, you should see a couple of  letters in relation to Immersive Armors:
paradigm

Your newly added MCM (Modernistic Configuration Carte du jour, thanks to Sky UI) volition choice up on the menu that Immersive Armors is adding to the game and Immersive armors will first configuring. Since Immersive Armors is a big mod, this will take a while, then, please, requite it up to 60 seconds.
image

Once Immersive Armors has finished configuring it will display one final message:
epitome

If you bring upwardly the menu (Escape) yous volition see that you now have a new department labelled "Modern Configuration". This is where mods will brandish their mod specific configuration menu - if they accept one (not every mod comes with an MCM).

In your mod configuration menu, yous should now see Immersive Armors where yous will be able to eastward.1000. toggle the availability of certain armours on or off - depending on your preferences.

With that done, go to the mod page for Immersive Weapons to download and install it in the same fashion: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/16788

Different Immersive Armors, Immersive Weapons does non come with a scripted installer or multiple plugins, then it installs similarly to due east.g. the Unofficial Patch. Simply click "Install" when prompted by Vortex, and "Enable" afterwards the installation.

Your plugin list should at present look similar this:

A Quality World Map

Go to the page for A Quality Earth Map on the website: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/5804. While you lot can download the mod the same fashion you downloaded the others (via the Download: Vortex push in the superlative right) note that this will grab the main file which the author has set as the main Vortex file. The mod A Quality Earth Map, however, has several options for the world map, exist it a paper version, or a version with flat roads.

In social club to pick the version of the mod that y'all want, click on the "Files" tab on the mod page to show the various main files:

Once you take decided on the version you want, click the "Mod Manager Download" button on that file. This will ensure that Vortex downloads the right file for you lot.

Autonomously from that, the mod installs the same way the Unofficial Patch and Heaven UI did - no extra steps needed. The plugin added by "A Quality World Map" volition be named "IcePenguinWorldMap.esp".

Your plugin view should now expect like this:

Summary and Review

Congratulations! You have just installed and enabled your first five mods!

Hopefully, following this guide you are now equipped with the knowledge to add many more mods to your game - if y'all and so desire.

Here is a quick recap summarising the various things nosotros take covered in the guide:

Downloading mods

• Most mods are downloaded via the "Download: Vortex" button in the top right corner on a given mod page.
• If you want to pick and choose a main file (when a mod has more than than one eastward.g. a blue and a scarlet version of an armour) go to the "Files" tab and click the button that reads  "Mod managing director download" on a given file to have Vortex download that file.
• In Vortex all your downloads are displayed in the "Downloads" section. Active downloads are besides displayed in the bottom left corner. You tin return to the Downloads section any fourth dimension to install downloaded mods from there.
• One time downloaded, mods tin can be installed, and enabled.

Installing mods

• The installation procedure for about mods is straightforward: click "Install" when prompted by Vortex and wait for the modern to be extracted. Once that is done, yous tin enable the mod past clicking "Enable". This will deploy your mod(s) to the game folder (provided that "Deploy mods when Enabled" in your settings is active, which is the case by default).
• Some mods have "scripted installers" i.e. a more or less involved (depending on the mod) installation menus with several options to pick and choose from. Just select the options you desire and continue every bit normal.

Mods and plugins

• Most, but non all mods contain one or several plugins (usually esp files). Some mods, typically texture replacers, only come up with replacement textures and do not demand a plugin file.
• Sometimes mods come with several plugins and Vortex will ask you whether you desire to enable all of them later installation. Whether this is a adept idea depends on the mod and whether the provided plugins are mutually sectional (several options where you only want to selection ane), optional add-ons for the principal plugin (in that example it would be condom to enable all of them depending on your preferences), or patches for other mods (in which case you lot only want to enable them if you are really using those other mods).
• Due to the in a higher place, it is very likely that the number of mods you have installed and enabled, and the number of plugins you have in your plugin list will exist different. Note that there is a difficult limit of 255 plugins (esp and esm files) dictated past the game engine, merely there is technically no limit to the number of mods you can install. It is perfectly possible to have ~ 500 mods installed and enabled, while it is not possible to accept more than than 255 plugins in your plugin list.

• Installing the script extender (SKSE64) and Heaven UI correctly, will add together a Mod Configuration Menu (MCM) to the game.
• Many, though not all, mods volition come with a mod specific sub-menu within the MCM that volition allow yous to tweak certain aspects of a given modern.
• The game might have a while after loading a save file (between a few seconds and a few minutes, depending on your mod setup and the mod in question) to annals a new mod sub-card being added to the MCM.

How To Download Mods For Skyrim Special Edition

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