Best Skyrim mods to download on Xbox, PlayStation, & PC in 2024

Despite its years, Skyrim is a game that stays relevant thanks to the incredible amount of mods that enhance its gameplay. So, let’s explore the best Skyrim mods for 2024 on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.

Bethesda’s Skyrim remains a standout in the vast landscape of open-world gaming, drawing in players with its rich content. Its enduring appeal is bolstered by a thriving community, providing fans with countless mods and endless opportunities for personalization.

While some of these creative mods can provide higher-difficulty challenges or just be straight-up bizarre and funny, others help improve the visual quality. So, if you want to try out some mods, here are the best ones we could find for every platform.

Best Skyrim mods on PC

1. Tame the Beasts of Skyrim 2

This mod essentially lets you turn Skyrim into something that resembles Pokemon. Not only can you tame wild beasts and have them follow you around, but you can also command them to battle and protect you from the dangers that lurk throughout the land.

The patch also adds more variety when it comes to wildlife, even adding some new animals to battle and tame.

Bethesda

Fancy taming a saber-tooth tiger to be your buddy in Skyrim?

2. Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch

As beloved as Bethesda’s games are, they’re also known for their high volume of bugs and glitches. This sort of thing was seen as quirky back in 2011, but in 2024, the world is less forgiving when it comes to unfinished games.

This mod mops up most of the remaining bugs in Skyrim and lets PC users have the smoothest possible experience.

BETHESDA

The mod fixes important bugs like items missing, textures disappearing, and more.

3. Ultimate Skyrim

This mod is actually 16 different mods rolled into one, although you don’t need to have all 16 active at once. You can cherry-pick the changes you’d like to use for each playthrough.

The main draw of the Ultimate Skyrim mod is the realism adjustments it makes to the game, for example, your character can be made to suffer from cold or hunger, adding a new survival element to your adventure. The mod also adds a more realistic combat system that raises the skates of battle and makes each encounter much more deadly.

Bethesda

The Ultimate Skyrim mod might be the most celebrated one ever made.

4. Become High King of Skyrim

If you decide to side with the Stormcloaks and remove Skyrim from the Empire then you ultimately end up making Ulfric Stormcloak the High King of Skyrim. The only issue is you’re the Dragonborn – not him. And you’re the one that did all the work.

Also, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll see that Skyrim has simply traded one dictator for another. So why not take on the job yourself? With this mod, you can be Skyrim’s benevolent leader – or you can rule with an iron fist. The choice is yours.

BETHESDA

As High King of Skyrim you can do – almost – whatever you want.

5. Skyrim HD – 4K Textures

Skyrim is one of the most stunning-looking open worlds ever created, but the game is over a decade old now and this is starting to show. While the remasters and re-releases do a competent job in updating Skyrim’s visuals, it’s clear more work is needed to bring it up to date with games in 2024.

This mod does an amazing job of giving Skyrim a 4K glow-up. While it still looks slightly dated, the 4K Textures mod helps it stand shoulder-to-shoulder with most modern games.

Bethesda

Skyrim looks amazing in 4K, especially after this mod.

6. Multiple Followers

Followers are super handy in Skyrim, not only can they carry things for you and keep you company on your journey, but they can also fight at your side.

While it is possible to have multiple followers in the base game of Skyrim by some sneaky means, this mod lets you do so anytime you like without falling foul of the game’s mechanics. This means you can put a balanced squad together before you go and explore Skyrim. It also prevents followers from accidentally hitting and fighting each other.

BETHESDA

You can take any type of companion during your journey, from NPCs to rabbits and more.

7. Lightweight Potions and Poisons

As you progress through the game, potions will become one of your most used items, as they’ll keep you alive while battling plenty of dangerous and powerful enemies.

Because the weight you can carry is so limited, both potions and poisons have had their weight reduced from 0.5 to 0.1 in this mod, allowing you to carry a lot more of them with you.

BETHESDA

The weight of both Potions and Poisons is reduced to 0.1.

8. Immersive Weapons

Even though the weapon repertoire in Skyrim is vast, players will find it thrilling to have even more options while traveling around the many regions.

This mod adds around 230 new custom weapons by seamlessly integrating them into the world through quests, vendors, dungeons, and NPCs. They are all craftable, upgradable (from level 1 up to level 50), and enchantable.

BETHESDA

All weapons are seamlessly added to the game’s story.

9. Immersive Armor

Long-time players can eventually get tired of the limited armor variation the game offers, so this mod allows them to try on over 55 new armor sets, including plenty of helmets, shields, capes, eye patches, and more. They are all integrated into the game through quests, dungeons, and NPCs.

These are all craftable, upgradable, and even enchantable, so players can play with them without missing a single gameplay aspect.

BETHESDA

The mod adds over 55 new armor sets to the game.

10. Monster Mounts

For those who hate traveling by foot, this mod is a lifesaver, aside from being very entertaining.

The Monster Mounts mod adds 87 new mounts to Skyrim allowing players to travel through the game in incredible creatures, from a mammoth to a giant mud crab and even a giant chicken.

BETHESDA

Monter Mounts allows you to go through the vast lands of Skyrim riding whatever creature you want.

11. Monsters Reborn

To give long-time users a feeling of freshness, the Monsters Reborn mod adds a massive new range of enemies and creatures to the game.

They all have different range levels and are ready to become another challenge to overcome on your journey.

BETHESDA

Get the chance to fight new monsters with the Monsters Reborn mod.

12. Better Combat AI

Fighting is a big part of the Skyrim journey, and it can be a tad frustrating when your opponents die too easily, as there’s no real feeling of achievement. So for players looking for a bigger challenge, the Better Combat AI presents them with plenty of battle improvements.

With this mod, the NPCs become smarter, meaning they use power attacks more effectively and aggressively, they can bash and stagger, attempt to block, and more. They will even have different fighting styles to make the combat more immersive.

Additionally, animals will have new behaviors too, allowing them to flee, flank, attack, and more.

BETHESDA

With smarter NPCs, you’ll be involved in much more entertaining fights.

13. Reverse Crafting

Sometimes selling items and getting paid very little for them isn’t the best way to get rid of all the extra loot you’ve stored. That’s why the Reverse Crafting mod is a must while playing Skyrim.

This mod allows you to smelt any weapon and jewelry in the game back to their base components, meaning you’ll get the metals and gems in return. This not only allows you to reuse the materials for other activities, but it additionally helps you speed up the smithing process which tends to be very slow and tedious.

BETHESDA

Reverse Crafting allows you to smelt any weapon or piece of jewelry.

14. Legacy of the Dragonborn

Players looking for a ton of new content should get the Legacy of the Dragonborn mod, as it seems to be closer to a full expansion than just a mod.

It adds a Museum to display nearly 4600 unique items and sets, offers a new guild faction that you can start from scratch, includes dozens of extra quests as well as major quest arcs, and a lot more content.

BETHESDA

You can fill your museum with nearly 4600 items.

15. To Have and To Hold

Some players are huge fans of building relationships with NPCs while venturing into new lands, and after the huge success of this particular feature in Baldur’s Gate 3, it was only natural to add it to the list.

The To Have and To Hold mod allows players to marry, divorce, and remarry NPCs, whether they are male or female. You can take up to 11 spouses in the game at the same time, play dress up, and even go on some quests. However, there are no new additions, meaning you can only become involved with those NPCs you were allowed to marry in the base game.

BETHESDA

Marry up to 11 NPCs at the same time with this mod.

Best Skyrim mods on Xbox & PlayStation

1. Buck the Friendly Wolf

Wolves are scary-looking beasts in Skyrim, even the huskies you can recruit don’t look as mean. However, you could never recruit one as a follower – until now.

This mod lets you rescue Buck from a witch who’s keeping him in a cage. Once you do, Buck will become your loyal wolf companion. He’ll follow you, fight at your side, and even carry some items for you. He’s an all-around good boy. Buck also doesn’t count as your animal companion, so you can recruit another dog too if you like.

Bethesda

Buck may look scary, but he’ll be your best friend.

2. Faster Leveling

If you’re looking to get into the endgame of Skyrim quickly then the Faster Leveling mod is an ideal one to install on consoles. It does exactly what the name suggests and halves the time it takes to get a level up, allowing you to rank up your skills quickly.

This is a mod that’s designed for veteran players to create their ideal Dragonborn, without spending over 40 hours doing so.

BETHESDA

Halve the time you level up in the game with this mod.

3. The Cheat Room

The Cheat Room is one of the best Skyrim console mods as it allows you access to pretty much anything from the start of the game. You can equip any armor, weapon, or spell and even tailor the game in various other ways by leveling fast and making Skyrim work to your pace.

This is an especially useful mod for those who’ve completed Skyrim before, and just want to jump back into their favorite bits without piling hours and hours into the game again.

Bethesda

The Cheat Room mod in Skyrim lets you use endgame gear from the start.

4. FPS Boost

On console, Skyrim doesn’t have some of the amazing graphics mods that PC players have access to. Luckily, the FPS Boost is one of the best Skyrim mods for helping the game run smoothly when played on PS4, PS5, and Xbox One & Series X|S.

Of course, you’ll also need a TV capable of running a high frame rate, but if you do, then this is the perfect mod to help Skyrim feel like a much more modern game.

BETHESDA

Get closer to PC graphics using this mod on your console to boost resolution and FPS.

5. No more dead followers

This is a very useful mod if you like using multiple followers and kitting them out with some of your best gear. It essentially makes all followers immortal and prevents them from being killed by enemies, the environment, or even you.

Followers will still take a knee when injured but eventually heal and get back up to join your side. The mod also works on animals like dogs, trolls, and wolves. So, if you’ve ever wanted an indestructible Meeko to follow you on your adventures, now you can!

Bethesda

Meeko is a dog whose owner has died leaving him alone. This mod makes him an invincible companion.

6. Alternate Start – Live Another Life

Recurring players might want to try out starting their Skyrim journey with a new beginning. In this case, the mod makes you start your adventure as a miserable prisoner waiting for its trial in a cold and damp dungeon.

As with the regular story, you’ll be able to choose your race and trace a new life for your character, and all your decisions will have a lasting impact.

BETHESDA

With this mod, you can change your character’s journey.

7. Graphics Pack

It’s been 13 years since the release of Skyrim and the game looks its age, that’s why the Graphics Pack mod is a necessary addition to anyone who wants to revisit this world.

The mod helps the game look a little bit more modern, with higher-resolution textures applied to everything, from tiny potions to the bed sheets and pillows, and even weapons, trees, animals and so much more.

BETHESDA

The Graphics Pack can help Skyrim look a bit more modern with higher resolution textures.

8. Open Cities

Skyrim is well known for its eternal loading screens, but with the Open Cities, players can walk from city to city without having to wait for them anymore.

This mod injects the game with immersion and realism as you can now walk into one of the big cities (like Whiterun and Riften) without having your action cut. It also affects fights, as they won’t be interrupted by the loading screen and even the city guards can be involved in them too.

BETHESDA

Open Cities allows you to get inside big cities without having to get through a boring loading screen.

9. Apocalypse – Magic of Skyrim

Magic fans will love the Apocalypse mod, as it adds 155 new unique, balanced, and lore-fitting spells to the game, all with high-quality custom animations. It also includes scrolls and staves.

There are 31 spells per school, all seamlessly integrated into the story and quests. Players looking for them can loot or buy them from vendors the same as with regular spells.

BETHESDA

Learn 155 completely new spells with the Apocalypse mod.

10. Ordinator – Perks of Skyrim

The Ordinator gives the Skyrim perk tree a complete overhaul to increase the depth of the system and give players a more fun character-building experience.

The mod comes with 469 new perks to explore, enabling many new viable character builds to experiment with.

BETHESDA

Build a whole new character with particular skills using the 469 new perks added in this mod.

11. Immersive Citizens

The main purpose of this mod is to increase the players’ immersion by using an improved AI on NPCs to make them act and react more naturally to the situations happening around them.

With Immersive Citizens, NPCs will have a new ‘survival instinct’ to give them the ability to acknowledge when they are in danger to respond to it realistically. Aside from combat, their daily life will also be affected by schedules, and travel, and will have better responses to things like weather, professions, or relationships.

BETHESDA

NPCs will act more ‘natural’ with this mod, sensing danger and reacting to situations around them.

12. Immersive Movement

Every open world wants to offer players an immersive experience and Skyrim does a fantastic job at it. However, the Immersive Movement mod can immerse you even deeper into this magical land by making character movement much more realistic.

The mod redesigns the player’s movements so you can feel like a real human with weight and momentum. The moves will be much slower and your mobility will be affected by the weight you carry, either from your weapons, armor, or the stuff you carry with you.

The mod also affects animals, creatures, and NPCs.

BETHESDA

This mod makes every movement feel real, however, it can slow you down a bit.

13. Convenient Horses

If you love riding horses through the vast lands of Skyrim, then Convenient Horses is for you. This mod gives a complete overhaul to the horse system, improving the gameplay while riding to make it more immersive.

With Convenient Horses, players can perform plenty of activities while mounting a horse, like talking to NPCs, harvesting ingredients, fighting, and more. You can even call upon your horse by whistling, they have a leveling system with attribute training, new equipment, and so many other features.

BETHESDA

Convenient Horses allows you to perform plenty of actions while riding your horse.

14. A Quality World Map

Skyrim’s map was developed so long ago, that veteran players can feel annoyed by the low quality of it compared to more recent games.

This mod allows you to boost the world map’s visuals so you can see all the details such as clear roads, mountains, plains, and more.

BETHESDA

Get a better view of the world map with a higher resolution.

15. Epic Dragon Combat and New Dragons

Despite being the center of the story, Skyrim only has 8 different Dragons and they have either frost or fire powers.

This particular mod adds another 8 Dragon types to the mix, giving players a total of 36 new Dragons to fight. They all have a better combat AI, plus custom breath effects which vary from sand to venom, lightning, and more.

While all of them can be found at different levels throughout your run, the 4 most powerful ones can only be unlocked after a certain point in the story.

BETHESDA

The mod adds 36 new dragons with epic designs and special powers.

How to install mods in Skyrim

Mods are usually reserved for PC users, however both PS4 and Xbox One have access to Skyrim mods, too. Bethesda is one of the few companies that make mods available to console players, and they’re also simple to use, so here’s how to install them.

PC

Players can download and install Skyrim mods on PC by following the below steps:

1. Open Skyrim and select ‘Mods’ from the main menu.
2. Select the mod you wish to install and then select ‘Download’.
3. Install the mod once it has been downloaded and activate it in the same menu.
4. Once activated, load an existing game or start a new one to play.

You should now be able to use the mods you downloaded when you start the game. Remember, you can also add mods from the Bethesda.net site and select the Add to Library option.

Additional mods can also be downloaded from Nexus mods for Skyrim on PC.

Xbox & PlayStation

To activate Skyrim mods on the console, simply follow these steps:

1. Select the ‘Mods’ option on the main menu, this will then bring up a list of mods you can download.
2. Download the mods you’d like to try.
3. Select and activate that mod once it has been downloaded.

Bethesda

Skyrim is looking older, but mods help keep it fresh.

Be aware though, that Skyrim has a limited number of mods available on Xbox and PlayStation when compared to PC. Some Skyrim mods on console also don’t work that well with others, therefore try not to use too many at once. If your game crashes or runs slowly when using a certain mod, we’d advise avoiding it in future.

Remember, these mods are made by the community, not Bethesda themselves, therefore each works but is not officially supported.

Those are the best Skyrim mods in 2024. Don’t forget to check out more of the game, like how to play as a Werewolf or Vampire, as well as the proper way to join the Dark Brotherhood or get married.