How to Install Mods in Starfield

Been wondering how to install Mods in Starfield? Don't worry, we'll teach you how.

Buying a Bethesda game is not like buying any other game. You don't buy it just for the large explorable worlds and the sandbox in which everything just works. No, you're making an investment for hopefully 10+ years' worth of Mods that keep you hooked to the experience.

And while the big total conversion Mods are still a few years away, there is already a staggering amount of Mods out for Starfield. From performance improvements all the way to gameplay tweaks and reworks of the UI.

We're gonna teach you how to install them on both Game Pass and Steam as well as show you where to find them.

Where to find Mods for Starfield?

The Starfield Nexusmod page is your best source of the latest and greatest when it comes to Starfield Mods. Here you'll find most of what the modding community has to offer. Everything is easily searchable and archived and they even have their own installer called Vortex which allows you to download, install, and manage Mods very easily.

Starfield Mods for Console

Which begs the question, what about the console versions of Starfield? In the past Bethesda made Mods available on consoles via their Creation Suite service. It lets players buy certified mods for a little fee which would then be paid out to its creators.

The Creation Suite is currently in the works and Bethesda plans to bring the system to all platforms similarly to the way they worked in Fallout 4 and Skyrim.

How to Install Mods in Starfield

First and foremost, you have to disable Starfield verifying all the data. This is done so Mods which change files or add new files are not flagged which causes both Steam and Game Pass to redownload that data.

Getting Started

Locate the Documents\MyGames\Starfield and create a new TXT file unless StarfieldCustom.ini already exists in that folder. Open that folder and add:

[Archive]
bInvalidateOlderFiles=1
sResourceDataDirsFinal=

Then save the file as StarfieldCustom.ini and you should be good to go. Some mods will require you to create similar files in other locations but all of that will be in each Mod's individual instructions.

Normal Installation

Most Mods are relatively easy to install, simply locate where Starfield is installed and drop all the files in that folder. Usually, mods are already named and set up in a way that works per this easy drag-and-drop process.

If you do it this way, however, you run the risk of something not working so you'll have to either verify the game's data or use backups. If you only install one Mod that might not be that much of an issue, but it will be worse when there is one Mod of 50 which is messing up everything. That is why we use Vortex.

Vortex Installation

Nexusmods Vortex tool is incredibly easy to use and makes installing and activating Mods incredibly easy. Simply download the installer here (you will need a Nexusmod account to use it) and follow the instructions. Then hit the Games tap and find Starfield to download the extension for the mod manager.

Now you can simply download mods off Nexusmods with the Vortex tool by hitting Mod Manager Download in the Files section of any Mod of the website.

Not only will you be able to activate and deactivate Mods however you please, but you'll also see how they might conflict with each other and play around with their options. There is literally no reason not to use the Nexusmod Vortex unless the Mod you want to use isn't on the website.

To get you started we've compiled the Best Mods for Starfield as well as 10 Gameplay Tweaks that are a must for everyone who's exploring the Milkyway.