It has been 11 years since the highly acclaimed Bethesda Softworks title The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
Enter The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, released five years ago, providing players with a fresh way to explore the vast lands of Skyrim. Based on the updated Skyrim Special Edition release, the VR version saw many improvements to the original game.
But what if we told you the experience could be made better and that you can do so with just a few mouse clicks? Modding has been a quintessential part of the Skyrim experience, after all, so much so that Bethesda itself has recognized it.
So, let’s look at how you can mod your copy of Skyrim VR and evolve it into the ultimate version of itself. These are the best mods available on Nexus mods and beyond, so do not hesitate to mix and match!
Modding Skyrim VR: The Basics
If the modding process seems daunting to you, you needn’t worry. It’s very telling about the complexity of the process when the lengthiest step in it is finding and choosing which mod you wish to install.
When modding Skyrim for the first time, you’ll have to jump through a few hoops and install a few tools to modify game files successfully. But once you have it all figured out, installing mods takes mere seconds.
Here’s a beginners’ guide for each aspect of modding Skyrim VR and what is needed to make new additions and alterations to the game.
1. Tools And Plug-ins You’ll Need
To put it concisely, you’ll need a script extender and a mod manager to take care of all the complex game file modification processes. While it is possible to mod Skyrim VR manually, it’s generally not advised as any mishaps can lead to file corruption, necessitating a reinstall.
A. Script Extender
A script extender is one of the most fundamental components that several mods use to extend what additions and alterations are possible in-game. The most widely-used script extender for Skyrim is SKSE, which stands for Skyrim Script Extender.
SKSE VR is available to download from the developer’s website, containing all the files you need to get started. Make sure the file you download matches your game version!
To install SKSE VR, simply extract the 7-ZIP archive to a separate folder and copy all the files in the top-level folder to the game directory. Typically, the game directory is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SkyrimVR\.
Next, run Skyrim VR using the executable file sksevr_loader.exe. You can check if the script extender is working or not by pressing the tilde (`) key and using the command ‘getskseversion’. This will show you which version of SKSE you’re using, and a clear-cut sign that the script extender is working.
B. Mod Manager
Mod managers take all the heavy lifting involved with mod installation and simplify them to simple button presses. You can consider installing Vortex, a successor of the old Nexus Mod Manager and an effective mod manager capable of performing the task.
As for setting the mod manager up, installing one is as easy as it can be. Simply run the executable file and go through the dialogue boxes. Once the progress bar fills up, the mod manager is ready to use.
2. The Modding Process
A. Find And Download The Skyrim VR Mods You Want
Skyrim has had an active modding community for 11 years, with new releases being uploaded daily. Care to guess how many mods are available to sort through on the Nexus Mods website alone? Well, the number of mods is in the tens of thousands, including graphical enhancements, character customizations, new animations created from scratch, and lore-friendly additions.
Want your copy of Skyrim VR to appear as if it were a title released in 2022? You can make it so. Seeking for quality-of-life improvements to your game, such as UI improvements? There are several VR mods for it and then some.
In all honesty, choosing virtual reality mods for Skyrim is like picking one clothing article out of a sea of amazing clothing articles. But, it’s the good kind of dilemma to have, as it’s always better to have a surplus than not to have enough.
B. Install The Mods Using Mod Manager
To install mods, you can import the mod file into Vortex as the first step. All you need to do is navigate to the mod manager download screen, select it, and click the ‘Install’ tab on the right.
Most mods take into account if the user is using Vortex for installation or not. As such, they include a special splash screen with preferences, giving you complete control over certain aspects of the modification.
Once you’ve chosen the preferred settings, hit the ‘Enable’ key in the Mods tab, and you’re done! Your modded Skyrim VR is ready to be experienced all over again!
C. Install Skyrim VR Mods Manually
Installing Skyrim VR mods manually is as simple as copy-pasting relevant files to the Skyrim VR directory and enabling them in the Skyrim VR launcher. That said, there are a few caveats to this.
Skyrim VR mods require a specific load order to function correctly, and improper load order may lead to unintentional consequences like game-breaking bugs. Manual installation makes load order management more complex than it needs to be.
A mod manager alerts the user to a conflict in the files before installation. This is a critical component of Skyrim modding, allowing modders to choose between installing new mods and overwriting existing files or aborting the installation. But with manual installation, the user has no such insight on the matter beyond their memory.
And with so many mods installed on a single game, it can be difficult to track which mod alters which files. That’s the allure of mod managers; they streamline the mod installation process by an insurmountable amount.
Things To Remember About Skyrim Modding
1. Mod Load Order
If all this talk about load orders has you confused, you needn’t worry. Being such a large and welcoming community, the Skyrim player base has recognized the problems new modders would face. As a result, they have introduced tools like Load Order Optimization Tool (LOOT) to simplify load order management.
As for the mod order itself, there’s a general rule of thumb that you can follow to ensure your game works well with every gameplay enhancement. Here’s the general order in which your Skyrim VR mods must be loaded:
- Bug fixes and stability patches
- Complete game overhauls and map changes
- Quest additions and alterations
- Weather effects and changes
- New map additions
- New structure additions, such as buildings and huts
- Flora and landscape alterations
- Gameplay changes, such as combat, exploration, spells, and skills
- NPC changes
- Graphical changes
- Audio changes
- UI changes
- New or altered items
- Model replacements
- Crafting alterations and overhauls
- Miscellaneous mods
You may have noticed on the Nexus page that mod creators often list out detailed installation instructions along with the ideal load order. Following these as closely as you can will net you optimal results with the mod, be it visual enhancements or gameplay additions. After all, no one knows these mods better than their creators!
2. Mod Compatibility
Many Skyrim VR mods are dependent on one or more other mods to work well, which may include stability patches, UI alterations, and more. The mod page on Nexus Mods often lists additional requirements and provides links to download them, so be sure to check them out.
And then there’s the matter of conflicting files that result in a compatibility issue. There are only so many elements that can be modified in a game released 11 years ago, after all.
As a result, there are thousands of mods that alter the same game files, resulting in a huge overlap between them. Suffice to say, one copy of Skyrim VR cannot run all tens of thousands of mods at once.
While mod creators try to list all types of conflicting mods on their page, it’s practically impossible to keep track of all of them. To resolve this issue, you can categorize your mod files similarly to the way the load order above is arranged. By doing so, you can gain a general idea of which mods can work together and which won’t.
Best Mods For Skyrim VR
1. Prerequisites
These mods typically function as a supportive pillar for other mods to function with. You may not see extensive changes to your game after installing them, but they will be crucial to the modding experience going forward.
It’s important to note that they are not grouped with tools and plug-ins because of the functionality they do add to the game. Also, their installation is completely optional, unlike SKSEVR and other tools.
Here’s a brief overview of all the prerequisite mods that you can install:
A. SKY UI
Let’s face it: the default user interface of Skyrim VR is a bit of a mess and difficult to navigate through at times. You will be picking up hundreds of items over the course of a single playthrough, after all.
And here’s where SKY UI can help you out. The mod is a massive overhaul of the entire UI system and acts as an interface for in-game mod configuration. Though installation is optional, it is highly recommended to install SKY UI as your first great mod for Skyrim VR.
B. Unofficial Patch
Skyrim- or Bethesda titles in general- has a bit of a reputation for being buggy well after release. The Special Edition, which the VR version is based on, is no different, and the unmodded vanilla Skyrim VR experience can be quite unstable.
But the VR-specific Unofficial Patch aims to remedy this by fixing hundreds of tiny bugs, improving overall stability, and reducing the chances of game crashes. This makes it an essential part of your modding installation list, so don’t miss out on the patch!
The mod page has the install instructions listed out in great detail, following which will take you one step closer to the ideal Skyrim experience.
2. Graphics Mods
A. Skyrim 202X By Pfuscher
When aiming at a complete graphical overhaul, retexturing existing gameplay assets is often the first step toward it. And thanks to the combined skill of the modding community, it’s entirely possible to make the game look like a modern title.
Skyrim 202X is a mod that provides high-resolution textures for cities, dungeons, items, armors, landscapes, and much more. Consider it a complete textural rework of the game, as it leaves no stone unturned by modifying nearly 2000 files.
The results are immediately noticeable, especially in VR, where every detail is blown up for the user to examine. With these new textures, Skyrim 202X makes a huge difference to the look and feel of the game, making it a great graphical overhaul mod.
B. SkyVRaan
It’s not Ray Tracing, but pretty close to it. SkyVRaan aims to create fake reflections on water surfaces to further enhance the landscapes of Tamriel. The mod breaks up the distant LOD, showcases wave movement on distant water, and creates an illusion of depth far away.
SkyVRaan makes the lands of Skyrim emulate real life look and feel through reflections alone.
3. Gameplay Enhancement Mods
A. HIGGS VR
Skyrim wasn’t made specifically for VR, having been released many years prior to the introduction of the technology. As a result, it lacks certain VR mechanics, the presence of which would improve the gameplay experience several times over.
HIGGS VR does precisely that, adding functionality to the game such as collision detection for player character’s hands and weapons. A number of object-related changes, such as two-handing weapons and picking up objects with either hand, were also added for improved realism.
And lastly, HIGGS VR fixes a few issues with the base game, like physics step length, flickering lighting issues on physics objects, and weapon collision.
B. VRIK
In Skyrim VR, the player character is a set of floating hands, with the body being invisible when you look down. This can be immersion-breaking, especially if you have your weapon drawn.
VRIK solves this issue by displaying all of the player character’s body that is fully animated to match your movements in VR. The mod allows you to set up gestures for each hand and reduce the need to navigate through menus. Additionally, you can access weapons and objects from 14 visible holsters on the player character’s body.
4. Immersion Mods
A. Realm of Lorkhan – Freeform Alternative Start
Realm of Lorkhan – Freeform Alternative Start lets you choose your preferred beginning rather than the default start in Helgen. This changes both the location and the equipment you start with as you continue playing through the game. But that’s not all!
The mod also ensures that your immersion remains intact no matter where you start, removing any references to the vanilla beginning from dialogue and quests. With the Alternative Start mod, you can begin playing Skyrim the way you want to, maximizing the immersion while being lore-friendly.
B. Dragonborn Speaks Naturally
The only barrier keeping you from fully immersing yourself in the role-playing aspect of Skyrim is that the player character is voiceless by default.
Enter Dragonborn Speaks Naturally, a mod that adds speech recognition to your game, allowing you to speak to characters with your own voice. This adds a new level of immersion that is scarcely found elsewhere.
The mod can’t just let you say anything you want, as the game is limited to the default dialogue options. That said, it does pick the option that matches what you say the closest.
Conclusion
This is just scratching the surface when it comes to modding Skyrim VR, with even more mods to parse through.
Modding games on PC is a joy of its own, adding many layers that keep you coming back to it time and again. Players have spent countless hours treading through the mountains, small towns, and forests of Tamriel, showcasing just how expansive and immersive the open world is.
And being one of the most modded games in the history of gaming, Skyrim remains one of the most replayable games ever made.
The sheer variety and depth that Skyrim VR modding adds make the experience worth revisiting. Though the game is showing its age now, modders are continuously at work to keep improving it.
