Skyrim has long been known for its modding scene, practically since its release. With the release of Skyrim Special Edition, consoles were finally given the ability to download fan-made mods through Bethesda's official modding platform, which can be accessed in-game on PlayStation or Xbox consoles alike.
The release of Skyrim Anniversary Edition threw a wrench into the cogs of the Skyrim modding community thanks to changes to the game's code. Half a year since the release of Anniversary Edition newly compatible mods are being released much more regularly, though it's still a good idea to double-check whether your version of the game is compatible with these mods.
Updated June 12, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: Skyrim Mods change a lot over the years, and every now and then mods come out that change an aspect of the game untouched by others. The Every Attack Different mod has a grammatically-questionable name, but it's one example of this unique type of mod that modernizes the decade-old game in a new, unexpected way. Mods are available for Skyrim from a lot of sources, though for the sake of ease of access the mods listed below are all available via Bethesda's in-game mod browser. Look below the listing and description for each mod to find download links for each console it is available for. Unfortunately, not all mods are available for all systems, though most are available on more than one.
EAD - Every Attack Different
Though Skyrim has aged better than most games from 2011, there are still some things that harken back to a simpler time in RPGs - like the fact that there are only two light attack animations (for left and right swings) for each weapon. The mod EAD - Every Attack Different changes this by adding 15 new attack animations and replacing the vanilla animations.
Now, instead of just being able to swing left and right over and over again, players have 15 different movements their character can make based on their speed, which way they are going, and the direction of their mouse as they swing. It makes combat feel so much more dynamic that you'll wonder how you ever put up with anything less.
The Every Attack Different Skyrim mod is available for download on Xbox systems only.
Better Loot
The Better Loot mod pretty much does what most players would expect. The loot tables in Skyrim can be pretty disappointing, making a raid on a draugr tomb yield little more than a few gems and an enchanted weapon that's of a different class than you specced into. This might be a little exaggerated, but the Better Loot mod ensures this situation never happens in-game.
The Better Loot mod claims to change more than 7000 loot containers throughout Skyrim and its DLCs. Now, there are a lot of loot containers in the game, and this mod does an amazing job of hitting just about every single one of them - going through Bleak Falls Barrow on a new character isn't the slog it used to be when there's useful items in every corner of the tomb.
The Better Loot Skyrim mod is available for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox via the in-game mod browser.
Immersive Citizens - AI Overhaul
Some mods add new weapons and armor that give players new toys to play with. Others add new lands to explore, new questlines to take on, and unique factions for the player to join. Some, like the Immersive Citizens mod, make subtle but fundamental changes that players find hard to live without.
This mod is a complete overhaul of how citizens talk and interact with the Dragonborn. The main draw is its changes to combat AI. Citizens now react accordingly to their surroundings based on their perceived danger, and enemies will be more likely to try to run away when close to death. Non-combat features of this mod include better NPC schedules, increased background conversations, and proper responses to the player's faction, level, or relationship. All of this works together to make Skyrim feel noticeably more alive.
The Immersive Citizens Skyrim mod is available for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox via the in-game mod browser.
Alternate Start - Live Another Life
When it comes to mods that fundamentally change how a player experiences Skyrim, no mod affects a playthrough more from the get-go than Alternate Start. This mod changes the entire beginning of the game to be much more streamlined and allows players to choose their start for new characters in just about any corner of Skyrim (and beyond).
Instead of starting in a rickety cart heading to your doom in Helgen, players start in a strange prison cell with naught but broken furniture and a Statue of Mara. Interacting with this statue lets a player choose their character's history (which affects starting items and gold) and their starting location. They aren't all normal locations, though – players can spawn anywhere from an unassuming town like Dawnstar to the depths of Blackreach itself, and can even start the game with a home if they choose certain options during the dialogue.
The Alternate Start Skyrim mod can be downloaded for PC and Xbox systems via the in-game mod browser.
Beyond Skyrim Bruma - Packages (PC/Xbox)
Beyond Skyrim Bruma is one of the most impressive addons for Skyrim ever made. As part of the grander Beyond Skyrim project, Beyond Skyrim Bruma adds most of northern Cyrodiil seamlessly into Skyrim's map.
It includes original voice recordings, countless quests, new dungeons (and even an Ayleid ruin) and so much more than most typical Skyrim expansion mods do. It's so ambitious that it requires players to download it in multiple parts.
Beyond Skyrim Bruma can be downloaded in several parts for PC and Xbox consoles via the in-game mod browser.
Inigo
The Inigo mod for all Skyrim platforms is one of the game's most well-known addons ever made. Inigo is a fully-voiced follower with more lines of dialogue than any vanilla Skyrim NPC who levels with the player and can't be killed in combat as he is marked as an essential NPC. Inigo is a Khajiit with quite a personality, and he even comes packaged with a short questline.
It's one of the most developed mods available for the game even though it doesn't seem to add much more than a follower. Inigo is more personable and feels more real than any other Skyrim companion, though, and serves as such a valuable addition to the game that the addon won GameSpot's Mod of the Year award.
The Inigo Skyrim mod can be downloaded for PC and Xbox systems via the in-game mod browser.
The Great Cities
The Great Cities is a mod that gives the capital of each major hold in Skyrim a major facelift. Dawnstar, Morthal, Falkreath, Winterhold, Dragon Bridge, and Falkreath are altered with new vegetation, surroundings, and even new buildings.
It's a mod that improves the feeling of immersion a player feels when exploring the urban areas of Skyrim. In the base game, these cities feel relatively undecorated and unmemorable – this mod makes them feel much more fleshed-out and alive.
The Great Cities mod for Skyrim can be downloaded for PlayStation consoles via the in-game mod browser.
Fishing Map Markers
Fishing is a new feature introduced with Skyrim Anniversary Edition that adds a fishing minigame that can only be found near certain bodies of water. While players can buy fishing maps from vendors in all Holds, the Fishing Map Markers mod makes it much easier to find the right place to cast out a line.
It only works with new games, which start with the ability to see every Fishing spot in Skyrim. This mod makes it easier to find Fishing Supplies out in the wild, though it is a little bit immersion-breaking to "know" where every Fishing spot is.
The Fishing Map Markers mod for Skyrim can be downloaded for PC via the in-game mod browser.
Faster Leveling
One of the worst things about going back to Skyrim after years away from the game is the leveling process. Players just want to dive into high-level spells and be able to use skills like Eagle Eye that can take hours to grind for. Like with most problems in the game, the solution is found in a mod - in this case, the aptly named Faster Leveling mod.
The Faster Leveling mod is a simple background mod that significantly increases the leveling rate for all skills. Some leveling rates, like Lockpicking and Speechcraft, are increased massively to offset the time it takes to level them later in the game. Most other skills are boosted by 2.5x, making leveling and progression across the board much less time-consuming.
The Faster Leveling Skyrim mod can be downloaded for PC and PlayStation consoles via the in-game mod browser.
Imperious - Races of Skyrim (PC/Xbox)
Few Skyrim mods can claim to be both game-changing and lore-accurate like Imperious - Race of Skyrim can. The Imperious mod changes the starting stats, initial skills, and race-based powers of each playable race in Skyrim to make them more powerful, more diverse, and more lore-accurate.
Take the High Elves, for example. They are given significantly less Carry Weight than other races but are given significantly more Magicka and resource recovery, too. They also get special passives like Elven Supremacy, which increases the effectiveness of fully-leveled skills. Each race also comes with a special Quest that, when completed, grants another new power.
The Imperious race overhaul for Skyrim is available for PC and Xbox systems via the in-game mod browser.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S