Do all mods work with Game Pass?
No. Unfortunately, mods that rely on the popular script extenders (SKSE, F4SE, etc) will not currently work with Game Pass. In a conversation with Ian Patterson of the Silverlock team, he said they are experimenting with a few possible solutions at the moment. Sadly, despite their efforts, there are still some hurdles to overcome due to the complications introduced in these new versions, but they haven't given up yet so there's always hope. This may prevent visual presets such as ENBs and ReShades from working correctly, too.
Mods that offer replacements to files from the vanilla game such as video replacers may also be unsupported. This is related to the Xbox app preventing edits to these files. However, in testing, this seems to be a somewhat intermittent problem so your mileage may vary.
Don't worry though, there are still plenty of mods that will work just fine!
How do I install mods on the Game Pass version?
Out of the box, the ability to install mods to the game is disabled. In this state, none of the game files can be modified by your user account. You will need to enable modding in the Xbox app by clicking the "Enable Mods" button shown below.
Once enabled, you will be able to make changes to the files in the game-specific folder found at C:\Program Files\ModifiableWindowsApps\.
You'll be pleased to know our Vortex devs are already hard at work on updating the extensions for Skyrim SE, Fallout 4, Oblivion and Morrowind to include support for the Game Pass versions. Keep an eye out for an update!
What about modding tools like xEdit?
Any tools you are used to using to mod your game will likely not support Game Pass without being updated first. Please make sure you check the mod page for the tool you are trying to use to see if the author has added any information about Game Pass before asking them.
As a mod author, do I need to update my mods?
There shouldn't be any need for mods to be updated for this version of the game. However, if your mod does rely on script extender functions and you want to support the Game Pass release, you could consider making these functions an optional requirement. I've personally already done this in Icecreamassassin's Legacy of the Dragonborn back when SKSE was not yet available for Skyrim Special Edition. I'd be happy to offer advice to anyone who is interested.
What else is different?
Based on a combination of our own research and some information from the team behind Wryebash, we've compiled a list of notable differences in important file paths for each of the Game Pass versions. All of these games must be started through the game launcher via the Xbox app and it may not be possible for mod managers to detect the game from a "cold start" of the system due to the game files needing to be "mounted" for it to be detectable. The fix for this is just to open and close the game once before managing mods.
Skyrim Special Edition
Game Pass Publisher ID: 3275kfvn8vcwc
Game Pass ID: BethesdaSoftworks.SkyrimSE-PC
Mod Install Location: C:\Program Files\ModifiableWindowsApps\Skyrim Special Edition (PC)
INI/Saves Location: C:\Users\{USER}\Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition MS
Plugins.txt Location: %localappdata%\Packages\BethesdaSoftworks.SkyrimSE-PC_3275kfvn8vcwc\LocalCache\Local\Skyrim Special Edition MS\Plugins.txt
Fallout 4
Game Pass Publisher ID: 3275kfvn8vcwc
Game Pass ID: BethesdaSoftworks.Fallout4-PC
Mod Install Location: C:\Program Files\ModifiableWindowsApps\Fallout 4 (PC)
INI/Saves Location: C:\Users\{USER}\Documents\My Games\Fallout4 MS
Plugins.txt Location: %localappdata%\Packages\BethesdaSoftworks.Fallout4-PC_3275kfvn8vcwc\LocalCache\Local\Fallout4 MS\Plugins.txt
Note: The Fallout 4 version on Game Pass does not include any of the DLCs, they can be purchased separately.
Oblivion
Game Pass Publisher ID: 3275kfvn8vcwc
Game Pass ID: BethesdaSoftworks.TESOblivion-PC
Mod Install Location: C:\Program Files\ModifiableWindowsApps\Oblivion GOTY (PC)
INI/Saves Location: C:\Users\{USER}\Documents\My Games\Oblivion
Plugins.txt Location: %localappdata%\Packages\BethesdaSoftworks.TESOblivion-PC_3275kfvn8vcwc\LocalCache\Local\Oblivion
Note: Oblivion installs several different language versions of the game in separate folders. The mod installation location will vary depending on which version you are trying to play.
Morrowind
Game Pass Publisher ID: 3275kfvn8vcwc
Game Pass ID: BethesdaSoftworks.TESMorrowind-PC
Mod Install Location: C:\Program Files\ModifiableWindowsApps\Morrowind GOTY (PC)
INI/Saves Location: C:\Program Files\ModifiableWindowsApps\Morrowind GOTY (PC)
Note: Morrowind installs several different language versions of the game in separate folders. The INI and mod installation locations will vary depending on which version you are trying to play.
Repairing your installation
In the event that you delete or damage some of the core vanilla game files, you can actually reverify the game files similar to how it works with Steam. This option isn't part of the Xbox app itself but can be found in your Windows settings. Open your Windows settings, go to Apps, then find the game in the list of installed apps. Click on the game entry and it will allow you to select "Advanced options" where you can repair or reset your game installation.
Did we miss anything? What do you think about the Bethesda games being available on Game Pass? Let us know in the comments below.
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A moderator has closed this comment topic for the time beingIf they were serious about their plan and keeping us happy, they'd offer us the ability to pay a small one time charge for a game, and subscriptions would be optional with an "in app purchase". I'm still fuming about having had bought a game and have to run it through the steam client. I believe that it causes a lot of the crashes that I experience in the game. I can be playing, the game crashes, won't start back up again unless I go to task manager and force quit the 13 steam apps running in the background. But that's a different thread. I spent the last week downloading a bunch of mods and dlc and working the bugs out, and am still not done to my satisfaction, but it;'s getting there. Heck, on the microsoft platform, all you get is the vanilla game and No DLCs, no popular mods, nada. Just the opportunity to pay Microsoft $50 per month for the privilege of playing the vanilla game using their game client which is required to play at all.
I and a good few 'older' others feel the similar about being corporately stuffed.
As for the taskkilling the Steam processes: That is the game's fault. Steam provides a bunch of APIs for a game developer to make use of. If a game crashes and the game process isn't entirely dead, Steam provides an option to force quit a game if it is being stubborn. Personally, I've never had problems with Steam, only the games published on the platform. If the game crashes a lot, that's a very nieve answer to just blame the retailer service. The launcher is almost never the problem with a retailer; The problem is almost always with the game itself.
To top it all off, Game Pass is an *optional* thing, and it is $15 a month (for Ultimate), not $50. You can outright buy a copy of the game if you wish, or you can rent it and a bunch of other games for $15 a month. Personally, I would go Game Pass, but buy my Bethesda titles on Steam.
If there's one good thing I can see coming out of the MS-Zenimax deal, I do believe that Bethesda games will get better in terms of performance and bugs.
I used to care about owning games, too. Then I grew up. Adults don't have time to mess around with installing and managing games, they just want to hit a button and play.
This rant feels like a brick and mortar store owner trying to defend their business from online marketplaces. People will go where they want, and if they go somewhere else, you didn't have enough to offer in the first place.
I suspect most people could not care less about moddability, and by the next generation, the only games that can be modded are games that are designed as platforms for custom content, like Mario Maker and Trackmania, and only within the confines of their sandbox. People will like it because it eliminates much of the hassle (Skyrim mods are too clunky and unprofessional for the majority of users). And if their favourite game doesn't support mods, who cares? It will have DLC instead, and once the DLC runs out, play something else!
I personally feel that you are of the camp that doesn't care and are trying to convert the mod anointed.
I understand that priorities change as you age, but don't think for one moment it's about growing up, it's not, it's about choice and what you do with that choice, if you give that up willingly then you will never get it back as long as there is a buck to be made and a head to be patted... "Yes, clever boy, you've helped to make me a greater percentage on my investment, and it only costs the user... have a pat on the head"
I do agree about existence of dendency toward declining of using mods in new games.
From my personal point of view the reasons are:
1) modern games are staying for much longer visually and gameplay-wise non-outdated, and less lacking of quality-of-life features, so the modern games need less fixes;
2) nowadays, there are very many games with different visual styles, roleplaying setting and options, gameplay modes, so there is less need for expanding with mods all of this in any particular ONE game;
3) it is much faster and easier to just use an additional game, which already has what is needed and is optimised for it;
4) those games, that provide extensive options to fine-tune almost everything in game, do not induce desire to mod it (OH WHY DEVELOPERS DO IT SO RARELY?!!!);
5) majority of the most profitable games are either multiplayer, or cooperative, and these types of games are much less moddable then singleplayer games.
the bethesda games have been kept alive BY modding, ppl wouldnt still be playing marrowind or oblivion if not for mods, as another user pointed out, there have been billions of mod downloads which trumps the amount of games even sold.
ppl mod... freedom of choice and customization is what brings mods to the forefront.
Modding wasnt always a mainstream thing either, it gained popularity and now some "users" whom werent modders to begin with want to tell us we dont need mods... if that was the case, then the mods never would have existed to begin with.
Adding options to customize a game is no where even close to modding a game, some people clearly dont know anything about the subject they have an opinion about..
Lastly.. if you dont want something, cool, dont use it, but wtf is it with people that feel if they dont need it then by default it means it shouldnt even exist?
Also...not sure where the hell you're paying $50/month for Game Pass, but you should probably get your money back, since that's over 3x the actual price. Kinda undercuts your argument when you don't understand Game Pass in the first place.
Just my two cents.
We've paid exactly the same amount for the game but she can't play it without an internet connection unless she goes through setting steam into offline mode while having an internet connection. I can.
I've been playing and enjoying Skyrim for almost 10 years now, and I love the mod ability of it and how creative people are creating and intervening new content. Same goes for Fallout series, but fallout 4 was quite abruptly aborted when expanding the gamiverse. So I tried Fallout 3. Which was almost more hysterically fun. I love the guy in the party hat in a train wagon in a radioactive pool of goo... (far far northwest and you have to be in god mode to get there).
Tinker with games (and things) is fun. And not allowing creative people to change things to the better/worse is just...stupid.
So, this argument is, as always, complete and utter nonsense.
State of Decay by Undead Labs was pretty moddable, but number 2 (after the studios MS purchase) you count not mod much at all, other than experimenting with some hex code to change some in-game values. And even then, following instructions to access those windows app files to mod that game, It messed up my access to the microsoft store completely. There is instructions here similar, changing permissions on locked and hidden files etc to modify them, its probably the kind of thing that will work but also stop game pass from working in the future ( depending on what MS allow going forward with accessing, editing their files.
Everything is all to intertwined and locked down now and its heading more and more that way.
For most games its fine but for something like the next elderscrolls, yes they will make sales regardless, but if it has very limited modding or just creation club type mods you pay for... Then its over. We have the old games, but for how long will people hold an interest in making new content?
Bethesda may not care any longer after taking so many recent stumbles and falls. its a shame to see a gaming sub culture like modding being possibly pushed or restricted from the franchises that bought so many of us into it.
Well, we can only wait and see.
What is missing now, is only those responsible for SKSE, create a version compatible with this version of the game, because it is already tufdo ready, I put the skse loader and tried to use but avida q the version is not compatible, I even changed the executable of skyrim by the version of steam that I have, it was funny, click on the gamepass to play and open the version of steam , that is, it did not work, because it directs straight to the steam version, even running in the windows store folder.
????????C:\Program Files\ModifiableWindowsApps\...\2947658-41.manifest
????????Failed to enumerate objects in the container. Access is denied"
Thanks
https://game-debate.com/news/30399/skyrim-special-edition-on-game-pass-can-be-modded-but-is-severely-limited
Clear consumer guidance.
Microsoft took the biggest selling single game, of all time , AND REMOVED its biggest selling feature. ie Its modability
what will this do , ? Force someone to take the steam game Hack it , to remove the steam account check and torrent it as a standalone package. because if MS dont restore mods no one will buy it. the Havok Bethesda Engine being so Modable is why people play skyrim
example Jagged alliance 2 has no been modded sucessfully since 1999 and is still playable with better graphics more items more rules etc and it was classed as ABANDONWARE..
I wonder if the community IE NEXUS MODS have a legal challenge against Microsoft for removing your source of business
Alternative solution , take the skyrim engine and reengineer the whole game as a independent platform , may mean getting new voice actors but it has also been argued that the game is almost public domain now since modded its hardly the original game anymore
First, Moddability is not the biggest selling point of Skyrim. The game is the biggest selling point. This is made perfectly clear by the fact that it sells extremely well on platforms that don't support mods.
Second, what kind of nonsense is "force someone to take the steam game and hack it"? You can BUY the game on Steam. If you're not going to use the Gamepass version it does not give you any sort of license to pirate the game instead. Just buy one of the versions that can be modded.
And the concept of Nexus suing Microsoft is so insane it boggles the mind. Nexus only exists because the creators of the game allow it to do so.
thats one of the funniest posts i've ever read on here.
When people provide essential components of any ecosystem they become partially or wholly liable for those components. It'd be pretty hard at this stage to separate Bethesda's games from the notion of "modding" and it'd be hard to completely ignore an existing ecosystem around mods and modding. And to find culpability with anything MS does is just a stones throw away, the only reason the DA has been asleep on the MS vs people case is because Jobs is dead and fascism and plagues are a bigger problem for the states than rogue software titans. I don't advocate for suing MS but i was surprised when those kids in the UK managed to get the government to sue Hello Games and was doubly surprised there was an actual result and a glorious era ensued.
I actually prefer physical media vs digital downloads/recordings anyway. With a physical copy, I actually OWN the game/music/movie in question & can watch/play/listen to it as many times as I wish without having to pay those nagging subscription fees. Not only that but the overall sound/video quality of physical media is vastly superior vs digital downloads/recordings anyway. I still have my CDs/Blu-rays for this very reason & will not pay a subscription fee just to watch/play a game/movie or listen to my favorite music. Total RIPOFF.
Another thing to be concerned with are all those DATA OVERAGE CHARGES one is likely to incur depending upon the ISP. Streaming games/movies/videogames eats up A TON OF DATA. This is especially true for 4K/8K video streaming. Many ISPs here Stateside have monthly data caps & charge a King's ransom for going over one's monthly data allotment. Others will simply throttle one's internet speeds to the point where streaming is impossible depending on the device used. Either way, physical media is vastly superior & will save one a TON OF $$$$$$ in the long run...
Second, renting your game or movie from a service like Netflix, Disney Plus, and Game Pass are really great options for people who only want to watch a movie once or twice. Chances are I'm never going to watch Frozen 2 again. Renting an entire library of games is a great way to go for people who play a game for a short while (think Human Fall Flat) before needing a new one. Game Pass is a great option for games that aren't replayable. Beyond that, streaming quality is getting better and better. If quality is your concern, well, I'm sorry to say that you're not getting a disk of Flora & Ulysses any time soon. There are times when you have to decide: Wallet or impractical peace of mind.
Something that I haven't even mentioned today is that Game Pass DOES NOT MAKE PROFIT as of yet. Microsoft is taking a gamble with it and hoping that people stick around long enough.
Owning a physical disk because of ISP charges is a very uninformed answer that just screams to me "too stubborn to change." Think about it this way: Owning an Xbox disk is really just a container for a license key and some metadata. You still have to download the game over the internet. Also, if game streaming services like GeForce Now didn't exist, there'd be plenty of games I couldn't play with my potato. Instead of paying upfront for a bunch of expensive hardware, I choose to rent it. My household doesn't incur data cap charges, like, ever.
Of course, I don't know why I'm bothering in an attempt to change the mind of someone who argues so naively anyway. I guess this is here for someone else to read and agree with.
I prefer physical as well. If I really like a game on Gamepass, I'll buy the physical. I mostly go for collector's edition anyways.
I tried the console versions but modding was way too limiting. A mear 5gb? Ridiculous. I'll stick to PC for Bethesda games.
#1 try not calling names: "ranter", it does not foster conversation, only reactions.
More specific to your post:
"Game Pass does not make a profit" "Microsoft is taking a gamble"
If you think game pass is going to remain a low monthly fee, think again. The low initial price is a lure, and the "gamble" is a long term INVESTMENT. designed to generate profits, imagine that! The price WILL GO UP.
As far as Game Pass's value, it's really as simple as this:
If you want to play a lot of games, and/or try them out without commitment: Game Pass is Great! - Period
If you prefer a small amount of your favorite games, and/or like to mod: Game Pass SUCKS! - Period
ALL OF YOU: recognize that different people have different goals (Which is GOOD!), and stop trying to convert the opposite camp!
MOD CRITICIZERS: Don't knock mods until you get them working right, because when you do: it transforms your game in ways you cannot imagine. Skyrim (2011!) is still more playable than many modern games BECAUSE OF MODS. Yes, they require some patience, but that patience is greatly rewarded.
LAST AND NOT LEAST: ANY internet outage means no gaming with Game Pass. If you're going to try and tell me your internet NEVER goes down, I will call you "nobody", because nobody's perfect (including the internet).
Thank you.
Game Pass is a great way to play 100+ games. Yes, if you enjoy one of those 100 enough to want a permanent copy then it makes sense to buy the GOTY edition a couple of years later for $20. Meanwhile you've saved paying $60 each on many games.
I played Outer Worlds day of release with Game Pass. It was fun but I'm not feeling any urge to replay it unlike my 1,000+ hours in Fallout 4 and eleventy playthroughs of FO 1-2-tactics-3-NV. The $60 I didn't pay paid for months of Game Pass by itself.
There's literally no difference between a downloaded file and the one on a disc. It's all digital.
Whatever difference you think you're seeing/hearing is either placebo or you're comparing two differently encoded files.
As for the datacap argument; eh, okay. Sucks for you, I guess?
I have fiberoptic gigabit ethernet with no restrictions, and IF it should ever go down at an inoppurtune time, I'll hook up my phone and use the 5G connection on that instead. Two different networks, so the likelyhood of both being down at the same time is quite low.
Sounds like "stone-age woes" to me thb.
our "typical" user goes thru about 850 gigs a month, our "heavy" users can do 1.5 tb if they use thier internet as a cable replacement.
if you are being throttled, you may consider switching ISP's
I work for a WISP and we dont even throttle our CU's at all, "unless" thier account has been flagged as abusive use, I.E. they run lots of torrents or are running a server from thier home. in which case they upgrade to a buisiness account and then its no issue
also to note, no internet company in america is allowed a monopoly, there MUST be an alternative even in a franchising situation.
you sir are horribly informed OR you are just making stuff up. idk which.
https://www.highspeedinternet.com/resources/which-internet-service-providers-have-data-caps
https://www.cabletv.com/blog/which-brands-have-data-caps
https://broadbandnow.com/internet-providers-with-data-caps