Fallout 4
16 essential mods
after the Next-Gen Update

The absolute basis. Without F4SE, you can forget about 80% serious mods from this list. This gem, created by Ian Patterson, extends the game's scripting capabilities far beyond what Bethesda allows natively: configuration menus, custom interfaces, advanced gameplay functions. Everything goes through it.

• Start the game via f4se_loader.exe, never from Steam directly
• Extract all files in Fallout 4 root folder, merge Data folder
• Tip: rename f4se_loader.exe at Fallout4Launcher.exe for automatic launch from Steam
• Steam and GOG work perfectly. Windows Store and Epic Game Pass: good luck

The unassuming hero without whom everything falls apart. The Address Library provides version-independent memory addresses so that the F4SE plugins find the right functions in the game, whatever your version. The All-In-One version contains files for all versions of the game (1.10.163, 1.10.980, 1.10.984, 1.11.169+). Install once, forget about it.

• Places the file .bin in Fallout 4DataF4SEPlugins
• Mandatory dependency on : High FPS Physics Fix, Sprint Stuttering Fix, ShadowBoostFO4
• No configuration required, two-click installation via Vortex

Thousands of bugs that Bethesda never fixed: broken quests, floating items, scripts that crash, miscalculated perks, NPCs stuck in walls. The list is monumental. The team behind this patch (the same team that maintains the unofficial patches for Skyrim and Oblivion) have been doing a titanic job for years. The workshop system scripts have been completely rewritten to be 25 to 90% faster.

• Load it first in your mod order, just after the master files
• Permanently fixes resource counting bugs in colonies
• Don't clean it up with xEdit: it's already optimised

On its own, it changes nothing visually. It is a shared library which allows mods to add elements to your interface without creating conflicts between them. As soon as you install Sim Settlements 2 or FallUI, it becomes indispensable for colony gauges, improved companion info, and all the custom widgets.

• Requires F4SE, installs via your mod manager
• Required by : Sim Settlements 2, FallUI HUD and its variants
• Does not consume any resources as long as no mod is using it

MCM adds a “Mod Config” option to your pause menu, where you can configure all your mods with sliders, checkboxes and keyboard shortcuts. No more editing INI files by hand or cryptic console commands at 3am.

• Virtually all serious gameplay mods use MCM for their options
• Requires F4SE but does not take a plugin slot
• For Next-Gen (1.10.984+), use version MCM 1.40 BETA 2 or later

Created by kinggath (the creator of Sim Settlements), Workshop Framework opens up the settlement system to community modifications. It provides APIs so that mods can modify workshops. without creating conflict between them. If you want to automate your settlements or use any advanced construction mod, that's non-negotiable.

• Mandatory dependency on Sim Settlements 2
• Load it after the Unofficial Patch in your mod order
• Compatible with all versions of the game, vanilla and Next-Gen

The most important mod if you have a screen above 60Hz. The Creation Engine links the speed of the physics to the framerate: above 60 FPS, objects fly through walls, NPCs run at high speed, and scripts run too fast. This mod dynamically decouples physics from framerate by modifying fMaxTime in real time. Result: 144 FPS without chaos.

• Magic bonus: disable VSync during loading screens. On SSD, you go from 60 seconds to 7 seconds loading time.
• Configure HighFPSPhysicsFix.ini set your FPS limit (refresh rate - 3 for G-SYNC/FreeSync)
• Active DisableBlackLoadingScreens=true in the config file

Downtown Boston making you cry at 25 FPS? This mod adjusts dynamically adjust the display distance of shadows depending on the FPS target you set. When the game is struggling, it reduces the shadows. When it's going well, it expands them. Magnificent shadows in quiet areas, stable performance in dense neighbourhoods.

• Average gain: 10 to 25 FPS in problem areas
• Configure fFpsTarget = 60.0 in the INI file according to your target
• Do not activate TerrainManager: it causes jerks

This mod fixes the bug where the camera jerks when you sprint on uneven surfaces in first-person view. If you've ever had the feeling that your character and the ground are “out of sync” when running along the cracked roads of the Commonwealth, this is exactly what this fixes.

• Smoothes camera transitions during the sprint, purely cosmetic
• No impact on performance
• Installs version 1.3 from the optional files on the Nexus page

Fallout 4's vanilla inventory is an ergonomic nightmare. FallUI has given it a complete overhaul, with an improved display and item icons, search bar, You can see the prices, weights and statistics at a glance. Once you've tried it, there's no going back.

• Part of the FallUI suite (HUD, Workbench, Map...) but works on its own
• Requires F4SE, MCM and Address Library
• For optimal display, add to your INI : bPipboyDisableFX=1, uPipboyTargetHeight=1400, uPipboyTargetWidth=1752

Tired of choosing “Sarcastic” and having your character insult someone's mother? This mod replaces the paraphrased prompts with the full text of what your character is going to say. No more nasty surprises in dialogue, no more failed quests because you misinterpreted a 3-word summary.

• Supports all languages via its NMM installer
• Does not require F4SE in its basic version
• If you're using the Unofficial Patch 2.1.0+, install the “String Patch” to avoid conflicts.

Fallout 4's vanilla map is unreadable: a greenish mush where the roads are invisible. This mod replaces it with a high contrast with clearly visible roads, improved topography and marked river banks. Simple, effective and painless.

• No dependency, just texture replacement
• Compatible with all versions of the game, including Next-Gen
• Available options: several brightness levels, numbered grid, region designations

By default, your character points his weapon in front of him 100% of the time, even when strolling leisurely between two ruins. Lowered Weapons automatically lowers your weapon after a moment's inactivity, freeing up your field of vision and making exploration radically more immersive.

• Works with all weapons, including power armour
• No F4SE dependency: the mod uses animation replacements
• Uninstall: manually delete the files AND check the integrity of the game on Steam

This mod transforms Fallout 4 combat: sponge enemies are replaced by a tactical system based on location and calibre. Headshots do count, but they depend on your weapon. A 10mm pistol will kill a human with a headshot, but a Super Mutant requires a .308. Fighting becomes fast, deadly and requires you to think on your feet.

• Humans: vulnerable to most calibres / Super Mutants: .308 minimum for headshots
• Yao Guai: .50 cal / Deathclaws and Behemoths: immune to headshots
• Includes bleed, stagger, shotgun knockback and medic behaviour for NPCs
• The Nexus page is hidden but the mod is still available on Bethesda.net

PANPC radically changes the way enemies behave. Instead of running at you like zombies, NPCs communicate with each other, They flank, withdraw, set up ambushes, flee when they are outnumbered, and return in force with reinforcements. Combat becomes a real threat once again.

• Group tactics: cover, flanking, coordinated ambushes
• Real Time Response system: dodge grenades, escape from exploding cars, trap alerts
• Coordinated factions: Gunners, Brotherhood, Minutemen fire in concentration
• Medic system: NPCs heal their injured allies

The definitive settlement mod. Instead of placing each bed, each turret and each plant yourself, you define zones (agricultural, commercial, residential, industrial...) and the settlers will be assigned to them. build themselves their buildings, which evolve over time. Version 3.5.1 released in December 2025, fully Next-Gen compatible.

• Automatic City Plans: assign a city plan and watch your colony being built
• Three story chapters with dozens of fully dubbed NPCs
• War system (Chapter 3): turn your colonies into military outposts, recruit armies
• 400+ community add-ons for additional buildings and styles