Best Fallout 4 Xbox mods

Best Fallout 4 Xbox Mods: Take Cover
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Welcome to our best Fallout 4 Xbox One mods post! 

Fallout 4 was the first console game ever to support modding and ever since it came out, talented community figures have released thousands of high-quality mods for the title that improve or change every facet of the experience. However, due to the sheer volume of Fallout 4 Xbox mods available, it can be difficult for Xbox One players to figure out which mods are the best. 

Fear not, though, because we're here with a comprehensive list of the best mods Fallout 4 for Xbox available today. Whether you want to make Fallout 4 more performance-friendly, overhaul the game's visuals, or add in new gameplay features, there's something for you in this list.

Note: Any mods requiring additional content and DLC will say so. Additionally, you'll need to a make a Bethesda account to access the mods, which you can do from within the game on your Xbox. Lastly, keep in mind that achievements are disabled while using mods.

Performance mods

Some of the best Fallout 4 Xbox mods revolve around improving your direct gameplay experience. These mods are designed to improve your in-game performance, which is something that will be helpful for users of the original Xbox One console in particular. Fallout 4 is (notoriously) a little buggy, and frame rate drops are common. Thankfully, these mods will help mitigate these issues substantially.

Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch

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Best Fallout 4 Xbox mods: Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch

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If there's only one mod you download from this list, make sure it's the Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch. This incredible mod fixes hundreds of bugs that are present in the latest version of Fallout 4, including issues related to NPCs, quests, graphics, in-game scripts, AI pathfinding, and everything between. Whether you want to play vanilla Fallout 4 without tons of bugs or you want to heavily mod your game, and you need it to be as stable as possible, this mod is a must-have.

Optimized Vanilla Textures

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A great way to boost your frame rate is to install Optimized Vanilla Textures, which optimizes Fallout 4's default textures so that they load and unload more smoothly and are less taxing on your console. Unlike other performance texture mods that lower the quality of Fallout 4's textures, this one simply makes what's already there run better. This allows you to get a big FPS boost without losing any visual fidelity.

Disable God Rays

The Disable God Rays mod turns off all god rays in the game, which can have a surprisingly large impact on performance. In some areas in the Commonwealth, having god rays off improves FPS by 10-15 frames. The mod author also made a patch that disables god rays in the Far Harbor DLC as well.

Reduced Grass Density

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The last performance-focused mod on the list is Reduced Grass Density, which removes 50% of the grass in Fallout 4 and also gets rid of miscellaneous debris on the ground. This helps improve FPS as well as load times. There are a few different versions of the mod as well; the one we linked above is the medium version, but there's a full version (removes all grass) and a lite version (just removes debris). There's also a patch for Far Harbor.

Graphics mods

When it comes to overhauling Fallout 4's graphics, your options are somewhat limited due to the fact that most modders prefer developing graphics mods for the PC version of the game. However, there are still a handful of excellent graphics mods available on Xbox One, and with them your Fallout 4 will look leagues ahead of the vanilla game.

Vivid Fallout

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Arguably Fallout 4's most popular texture overhaul across all platforms, Vivid Fallout is truly something special. It adds countless new environmental textures to the Commonwealth that look significantly more detailed than the vanilla game's, and the impact they have on performance is next to nothing. Without a doubt, it's the best texture mod on Xbox One.

Natural & Atmospheric Commonwealth

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While the Xbox One version of Fallout 4 will never receive the advanced ENB lighting overhaul mods that the PC version can handle, Natural & Atmospheric Commonwealth (NAC) is the next best thing. Featuring an incredibly immersive weather system, enhanced lighting, post-processing effects, and optional special effect filters, NAC is absolutely incredible. Paired with Vivid Fallout, NAC will make your Fallout 4 look amazing.

Water Enhancement Textures

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If you want the Commonwealth's bodies of water to look prettier, don't miss Water Enhancement Textures. It adds more detailed water surface textures and also adds in new splash and foam effects for when you go for a swim in-game.

Wasteland Creatures Redone

Source: DOOMBASED (Image credit: Source: DOOMBASED)

Wasteland Creatures Redone is a retexture mod for the beasts and monsters that you fight throughout the Commonwealth. If you've ever wanted ghouls and deathclaws to look even grosser than usual, this is the mod for you.

KS Hairdos

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KS Hairdos is a port of a popular PC mod that adds over 700 different hairstyles to Fallout 4, many of which are suitable for both male and female characters. The hair itself is also much better looking than the greasy hair textures from vanilla Fallout 4, too.

Valkyr Female Face Textures

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Valkyr Female Face Textures makes all of the women in Fallout 4 have cleaner, higher resolution textures, resulting in better quality. Sadly, there's no male equivalent, but hopefully that will change one day. You'll need to install this patch in order for the mod to work properly as well.

Seasons: Winter

If you're looking to completely change up how the Commonwealth looks, Seasons: Winter is a phenomenal option. At its core, this mod adds snow to terrain and trees within Fallout 4 in order to make it seem like the Commonwealth is experiencing winter weather. There are companion mods as well that allow you to add snow textures to roofs, roads, sidewalks, and rocks — all of these can be found in the mod's description. There's one that adds snowy weather as well, but we recommend using Natural & Atmospheric Commonwealth instead since it has nicer looking weather. Additionally, this mod can be used with Vivid Fallout, but you'll need to make sure that Seasons: Winter is above Vivid Fallout in your load order.

Gameplay mods

These mods change the core gameplay experience of Fallout 4, either by altering existing mechanics and items or by adding in new ones. These mods are a great choice if you're looking to spice things up in a new playthrough.

Fallout 2287: Nuclear Winter

We're kicking things off with a mod that completely changes how Fallout 4 plays: Fallout 2287: Nuclear Winter. This mod makes the Commonwealth extremely cold and forces you to keep tabs on your temperature, lest you get hypothermia and freeze to death. You can fight off the chills by staying close to fires, eating hot food, and wearing warm clothing. We recommend pairing this mod with Seasons: Winter for ultimate immersion.

Take Cover

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Take Cover lets you, well, take cover. You can crouch down and hug solid objects like NPCs do in firefights, and you can also vault over them if they're low enough if you want to try and take foes by surprise.

Full Dialogue Interface

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Most fans don't like vanilla Fallout 4's "dialogue wheel" (if it can even be called that). This is because it only offered a vague hint at what your character would say in conversations, instead of making the contents of your responses clear. Full Dialogue Interface replaces the wheel with a traditional dialogue menu like the older Fallout games.

Armorsmith Extended

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One of the most annoying parts about Fallout 4 is that you can't wear armor plates over most of the outfits in the game, and you can't wear helmets and face coverings at the same time either. Armorsmith Extended fixes those problems, and it also adds crafting benches that allow you to craft every piece of armor in the vanilla game whenever you want. Make sure to install AWCKR first, as this mod requires it.

Survival Options

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Survival Options allows you to tweak various settings for Fallout 4's Survival mode. Whether you want to make it even more difficult than it already is or make Survival a little less stressful, this mod gives you the power you desire.

Cheat Terminal

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Cheat Terminal is the closest thing Xbox One players will ever have to PC console commands, as the mod allows you to turn on god mode, give yourself infinite ammo, make your weapons do insane amounts of damage, and more. Go ahead, cheat — we promise we won't judge.

Settlement mods

Fallout 4's settlement base-building system was a huge hit with most Fallout fans, but the vanilla mechanics are lacking in a few ways. These mods add cool features to the settlement system and help make it more intuitive to use.

Sim Settlements

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At its most basic level, Sim Settlements allows you to place down plots for settlers to build structures on. You won't need to build them houses, farms, defenses, or stores anymore — they'll do it themselves! Additionally, Sim Settlements also comes with more advanced options that allow you to have settlers build cities while you're away, and the recent Conqueror expansion even lets you play the bad guy and try to take over these cities like a raider.

Clean the Commonwealth

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If you're frustrated by the fact that not every object in settlements can be scrapped, give Clean the Commonwealth a try. It makes many objects that were previously baked into the Fallout 4 world removable, giving you more space and freedom to build the settlement of your dreams.

Settlement Supplies Expanded

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Settlement Supplies Expanded adds hundreds of new objects to the settlement building menu, allowing you to create much more detailed and diverse areas. This is the mod for people who like to meticulously decorate their settlements and make them feel as immersive as possible.

Place Anywhere

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Place Anywhere gives you the freedom to place your objects wherever you want in your settlement, including in midair or outside of the settlement's borders. This will help builders who were frustrated with the limitations of the vanilla game's placement mechanics.

No Build Limit

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Essentially, No Build Limit makes it possible to put as many objects in a settlement as you want without worrying about the vanilla game's build limit. This mod is perfect for folks who want to make massive settlements.

Your thoughts

Did we miss any of your favorite mods? Have you got one you think should be on the list? Let us know in the comments below! Also, don't miss our guide to all the best Skyrim: Special Edition Xbox One mods if you're a fan of Skyrim.

Brendan Lowry

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.

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