To install a wide variety of popular mods for Fallout 4, players will first need to install F4SE or the Fallout 4 Script Extender. Created by modders Ian Patterson, Stephen Abel, and Brendan Borthwick, F4SE doesn't add much to Fallout 4 alone. Instead, it serves as an essential resource for modders, expanding scripting capabilities and laying the groundwork for mods introducing new and complex content.

The Fallout modding scene suffered a big blow when Fallout 4's next-gen update broke the game, causing mods to break and even forcing the team behind the impressive Fallout London total conversion to delay the release. The update also broke F4SE, but it has since managed to bounce back. Players should now be able to install F4SE and get their mods working.

How To Install F4SE

How To Get F4SE Up And Running

Two main ways to install F4SE are using the NexusMods mod manager Vortex or a manual installation. Either approach is viable. Vortex may be more beginner-friendly, but modding can often be eclectic and chaotic; mods can have different custom install methods that don't always translate well to a simple drag-and-drop install. To install F4SE with Vortex:

• Download Vortex from NexusMods and run the downloaded .exe to install the Vortex program.
• Run Vortex. The program should automatically detect any moddable games, including Fallout 4, on startup. Vortex can then be set to manage the mods for these games.
• Return to the F4SE Nexus Mods page and click the Vortex button at the top. This should open Vortex, and F4SE will be downloaded and installed inside It.
• Enable F4SE and click Deploy Mods on the Mods toolbar.

Vortex can be a valuable tool for players who want to install lots of mods at once, such as stacking Fallout 4's best immersion mods with high-resolution texture packs for the game. However, as these are all unofficial, they may require additional tweaking and modding knowledge. The best guides on how to install mods usually come from individual modders.

F4SE is currently only compatible with Steam and GOG versions of the game. Windows Store, Xbox app, and Epic Games Store versions are not supported.

Alternatively, there is a manual way to install F4SE:

• Download the F4SE ZIP file from Nexus Mods
• Extract all files inside the ZIP to the Fallout 4 game folder, where the Fallout4.exe is located

For a full video breakdown of the installation process, follow the video above by GamerPoets on YouTube.

How To Launch F4SE

Introduce F4SE's Scripting Capabilities

Once installed, launching F4SE is fairly straightforward. For Vortex installs, simply click the Fallout 4 icon on the top left of Vortex to run the game. For manual installations, run the game using f4se_loader.exe, which is included in the ZIP.

It's worth noting that once F4SE is installed, players don't need to take any additional steps to ensure the added modding functionality is running.

How To Use F4SE

Use F4SE's Full Capabilities

F4SE's functions are purely technical as a utility mod, so players don't actually use the mod once installed. Instead, it's only listed as a requirement for many of Fallout 4's best mods. In practice, players will find and install their favorite mods, and F4SE ensures the game can run with these mods enabled. Not all mods require F4SE.

Once players have installed F4SE for Fallout 4, they should search the game's extensive library of custom mods for new and interesting add-ons and quality-of-life improvements.