Starfield: 15 mods that you must install

It's hard to put into words how much I was anticipating the release of this game. The preparation was thorough, and I even had to upgrade my graphics card to fully enjoy Bethesda's space adventure. But... you probably already know what happened at launch. Not even the upgraded graphics card helped, and Starfield was postponed, just like Fallout 4 was back in the day.

Enough time has passed for the developers to fix the optimization. Indeed, the performance has improved significantly, but issues in other aspects of the game remain. Chronic engine problems, strange mechanics, and incomplete content — all of this is typical of Bethesda's products, leaving all hope in the hands of modders. Now, I’ll tell you about the 15 best Starfield mods that will greatly enhance your gaming experience.

Starfield Script Extender (SFSE)

Image: Reddit

Let's start with the foundation of all mods. Without this, nothing will work, so install it first. The player doesn’t need to do anything here: it's a script extender that allows the game to recognize third-party content. It’s important to understand that SFSE is necessary even to install a new skin for your spacesuit. After all, even clothing plays a role in the gameplay, so don’t ignore this.

StarUI Inventory

Image: nexusmods

Fans of Bethesda games install this mod in every game from the studio. The clunky and cumbersome interface is one of the studio’s greatest mysteries. Why is it carried over from one project to another? Is it really so difficult to come up with a user-friendly UI? Seriously, you’d need a third eye on your forehead just to navigate the inventory!

StarUI Inventory completely overhauls the inventory interface, making it clear and easy to use. With this mod alone, the game becomes much better, and I strongly urge you to install it.

StarUI HUD

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The inventory is sorted out, but now it’s drastically different from the standard HUD. Yes, even the regular pop-up windows and on-screen elements look terrible if they aren’t replaced. So, it’s time to install StarUI HUD.

Consider this an essential addition to the previous mod. Now the user has full control over the interface elements. You can adjust the screen location, color, informativeness, and frequency of any widget’s appearance.

Compact Mission UI

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Okay, the interface is almost perfect. Almost… But now, let’s take a look at the mission menu and be horrified. Starfield has an incredible number of quests, and some are even more interesting than the main storyline. But scrolling through the entire quest list is extremely inconvenient. Let’s not waste precious time searching for quest information, and instead, install Compact Mission UI.

This mod makes the quest menu more compact, increasing the number of visible missions by 50%! This is definitely a must-have.

Easy Digipick (Lockpick)

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Another typical issue in Bethesda projects is the lockpicking system. When you’re searching for that one crucial pixel to pick a "Master" level lock, you end up wasting dozens of lockpicks, only to be rewarded with a couple of packs of ammo... Bright emotions are guaranteed. The enormous waste of nerves and time haunts fans in EVERY game from the studio. And for all of them, there’s a mod that makes the lockpicking process easier.

Easy Digipick (Lockpick) makes lockpicking much simpler and offers several settings. The mod has two modes: incredibly easy and balanced.

Starfield HD Overhaul

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Customization and visual enhancements are very personal preferences. However, there are global issues, such as "blurry" graphics. No matter how hard the developers tried, some parts of Starfield look really bad. It sometimes feels like the textures aren’t loading properly, and then you realize that this is just how they normally appear. At such moments, your eyes feel square from the poor visuals.

Starfield HD Overhaul is a very popular mod that changes the resolution of all textures to 2/4k. With just one modification, it changes the entire visual experience, and that’s fantastic!

Neutral LUTs - No Color Filters

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For many players, this mod is also essential. It addresses one of the most controversial aspects of Starfield’s graphics — the color filters. No matter where the character is, the image is always processed with a filter, which sometimes looks epic. However, in most cases, it feels like the entire world is covered in fog, which greatly hinders visibility, especially in the dark. Additionally, such a filter reduces the FPS.

Neutral LUTs - No Color Filters neutralizes these filters, making the colors more natural. It’s especially useful in dark environments and improves frame rates.

B.A.S.E. - Building Advanced Space Encampments

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Now that the main issues of the game are resolved, it’s time to expand the content. Among the good shooting mechanics, quests, and character development, there is a gaping hole — base building. In the standard version, it looks even worse than in Fallout 4, so let’s fix that.

B.A.S.E. opens up vast possibilities for building fully functional, cool outposts. The mod includes walls, ceilings, stairs, and much more that are present in other structures created by the developers. I consider this a must-have if you love building.

Outpost Construction Expanded

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Once the walls are up and an entire complex is ready, it’s time to fill the base with nice little details. Without mods, the selection of interior items is terribly limited, and Outpost Construction Expanded helps fix this oversight.

Players get access to a fantastic library of over 600 interior items. With such variety, you can create literally anything you want.

TN's Space Mining and Salvage

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Ironically, in a space adventure, space itself doesn’t play a significant role, nor does the ship you’re traveling on. For many, this issue was a deal-breaker, including for me. However, there is a mod that can significantly change the gameplay by enhancing space travel.

TN's Space Mining and Salvage offers a breath of fresh air for spaceflight enthusiasts, allowing you not only to fight in space but also to mine resources. Lots of valuable resources. To do this, the mod introduces special mining lasers and salvage tools.

Avontech Shipyards

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Now that space travel has taken on new meaning, it’s time to take care of your ship. The standard Starfield ship builder is great, but it can be even better! The first mod to enhance it is Avontech Shipyards.

This mod unlocks numerous new ship modules with cool lighting effects. Some of these modules are functional, while others serve as decorations.

DerreTech

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Here’s another cool set of ship-building modules. With this mod, a new parts supplier, DerreTech, will appear in the game. Notably, the design of these modules is significantly different from the standard ones, meaning you can create a ship with a unique appearance.

Starfield Fleet Expansion

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Not everyone wants to spend hours in the ship builder trying to create something that doesn’t look like a space tin can. Unfortunately, the standard ships are often quite ugly, but there’s an amazing mod that changes everything.

Starfield Fleet Expansion adds custom ships from Reddit to the game! You’ll find true masterpieces here, and now these ships will be available for purchase from in-game NPCs.

Gameplay Tweaks and Fixes

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The developers tried to fix most of the bugs, but the gameplay remains the same. Occasionally, there are minor annoyances that the community has addressed. The Gameplay Tweaks and Fixes mod handles these issues well without breaking the game.

This mod includes numerous adjustments, such as minor improvements to leveling, difficulty settings, and the addition of some nice little features.

(Un)Natural Geological Locations - A GRiNDTerra POI Mod

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I’ll end this list with a fantastic new mod that breathes new life into the world of Starfield. This is an impressive piece of work, as it addresses one of the game's biggest problems — lifeless worlds. Yes, in reality, celestial bodies aren’t teeming with life, but we’re here to play and enjoy ourselves.

This mod adds entirely new, handcrafted biomes to the planets. Beautiful and mysterious locations will appear randomly, giving you a reason to explore different planets.

With these mods, Starfield becomes a much better game. In the fall of 2024, the developers will release the first major DLC, and I hope that this game will come to life and eventually become as popular as my beloved Fallout 4.

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