skyrim or skyrim special edition for mods

Now that you have SKSE, in MO2 you will see a dropdown that says SKSE and this is a shortcut that will start an instanced version of the game with SKSE enabled, which lots of mods require.įeel free to send the shortcut to your desktop. But generally you always want to keep it updated. However, if a mod that you really like hasn’t been updated to work with the newer version of SKSE, then you might want to wait until it’s updated so put that off temporarily. Simply re-download and overwrite when there’s a new version. Always keep this updated or the mods won’t work if they require a newer version. It won’t work otherwise.Ĭopy all extracted files to your Skyrim’s root folder. If you’re playing on LE then get the first one. Download and extract anywhere on your machine. Download the appropriate 7z archive for your version of Skyrim. The next thing that you need is the Skyrim Script Extender. Install SKSE or SKSE64 (Skyrim Script Extender) MO2 can also be used to mod other games such as Fallout. But you don’t have to use portable of course.

I use portable option because I have multiple instances. Some people say you shouldn’t do it like that, but it’s 100% fine as long as there are no permission issues with Windows. Make sure your Skyrim root folder is away from your Windows drive (not 100% required but very recommended) and install MO2 as portable in a new folder you create inside the root one. I’m not going to give you extensive tutorials on how to use MO2 because that would make this guide way too long, but when you first start it, it will offer to teach you the basics so make sure you go through that beginner tutorial that’s built into it. You will be able to download mods directly into it. When installing MO2, at the bottom of the options make sure to check the handle Nexus links box and then later when you start it up, enter your Nexus account information. There are other ones out there, but this one is the best, at least in my ( and many other people’s) opinion.

The first thing you need is a robust mod management utility. To get started, make sure you’ve got 7zip & NexusMods account.

And don’t go crazy with too many mods or the game might not even start if you have a lot of conflicts. Some mods work between the editions ( textures are always fine but not meshes) but generally you want to stick to the one you’re using. I personally recommend Skyrim SE due to improved stability, 64bit engine and generally much better performance and less crashes ( very important if you have a lot of demanding mods). So if you’re playing on Skyrim LE, use this to get your mods.

The process is the same for Skyrim LE ( Legendary Edition) & Skyrim SE ( Special Edition), the only difference is the version of the mods that you’re downloading (and SKSE, Skyrim Script Extender).

Skyrim or skyrim special edition for mods