Is Nexus Mods Safe? [2021 Guide]
PC games are getting more and more popular every year. As the number of people who play them grows, so too does the interest in third-party game modifications, or mods.
If you’re interested in modding games like Skyrim, then Nexus Mods is a platform you’ve probably heard of. But before you download a mod that you’re interested in, you want to make sure that Nexus Mods is legitimate.
The answer is yes, Nexus Mods is 100% safe and legitimate. The platform is one of the most widely-used and trusted on the internet. There have been more than a billion mod downloads on Nexus Mods. Its Elder Scrolls mods are especially popular, but you should feel safe using Nexus Mods for any game modification you want to download.
What are Nexus Mods?
Nexus Mods is a platform that enables users to download mods for their favorite PC games. They don’t actually create mods themselves. Rather, they also enable “authors” to upload the mods that they create to the site.
The service is very large. As of 2021, they had more than 25 million registered members. They’re currently hosting close to 300,000 files for more than 1,200 games.
Also, we should mention that Nexus Mods checks every mod that they upload before doing so. So you don’t have to worry about the fact that they don’t create the mods themselves. The website is still 100% safe to use.
Are Nexus Mods free?
Yes, you can download any mod that you want on Nexus Mods for free. The vast majority of the site’s users never pay a dime for the mods that they download.
Nexus Mods is able to do this because they’re mostly run by a group of volunteers. These volunteers believe in the site and its purpose so they give their time to it freely. This enables Nexus Mods to sustain itself on a mostly-free basis.
But Nexus Mods also offers a premium version. This is really only meant to give site users a way to express their gratitude for the service. Premium members can download mods just a bit faster than non-paying ones. But the differences are very slight.
Is Nexus Premium safe?
Yes, if the standard version of Nexus Mods is safe, then you should feel completely confident about Nexus Premium. The service essentially gives you the ability to download the mods you want a bit faster. It also offers some helpful account management features that may appeal to some users.
But the main reason to sign up for Nexus Premium is to support the site. Some people want to do this because they believe in the work that Nexus Mods is doing for the gaming community.
That option is certainly available to you as well. But you don’t need to sign up for Nexus Premium. If you’re still unsure about giving your payment information to the company, there’s no need to. You will still be able to get the mods that you want without signing up for premium.
Is Nexus Mods only for PC?
The vast majority of Nexus Mods are meant to be used on the PC. But it’s possible to get some Nexus Mods working on an Xbox One. That being said, the process of achieving this can be a bit complex.
To start, you need to download a file manager or organizer for your Xbox One. There’s usually a free one that you can try out on the store for a few days.
Once you’ve done that, you can look for Nexus Mods that are compatible with Xbox One. It’s best to do a YouTube search to see the right way to download the mod.
Then, you’ll likely have to create a mod folder inside the Skyrim folder on your Xbox One. This can be done through the file manager or organizer that you downloaded.
Finally, you might need to create unzipped versions of the files that you downloaded for the mod. This can also be done by downloading from Google Drive if you can’t unzip them yourself.
Ultimately, if you want to use Nexus Mods on an Xbox One, you can do that. But you need to do some research and follow instructions carefully to make sure you do it correctly.
Is Vortex better than Nexus Mod Manager?
Vortex was created as an upgraded version of the Nexus Mod Manager. It’s supposed to make modding games as easy as possible for new users. Additionally, Vortex was designed to still provide enough control for the most experienced modders.
The approach to creating Vortex was to take complex tasks and automate as many of them as possible. This enables gamers to get a stable modded game with minimal effort on their end. Ultimately, the goal of creating Vortex was to help gamers spend less time working on mods and more time playing games.
Vortex offers several helpful features, including:
- Multi-game support
- Close integration with Nexus Mods
- Mod profiles
- Modern UI
- Extensions and plugins
This means that if you’re new to the modding scene, Vortex is probably your best bet for a management platform. But if you already had Nexus Mod Manager downloaded, you can keep using it. The platform will still be more than enough for experienced modders to get what they want out of mods.
Are mods illegal?
No, using mods isn’t illegal. Neither is creating them. Each of these actions is perfectly legal to do on its own. The problems can arise when you attempt to profit off of a mod that you create.
If a modder tried to sell their mods, they could be prosecuted for it. That’s because doing so would involve committing an act of copyright infringement on the base game code. So if you ever see someone trying to sell a mod, then you should probably just steer clear of it.
However, modders sometimes ask for donations from people who use their mods. This is technically legal, though it’s borderline. And modders who do this need to be careful that they don’t inadvertently cross over into copyright infringement territory.
But the average user of mods has nothing to worry about. There’s zero chance that you would ever face legal repercussion for using a modded version of a game. So you can keep using Nexus Mods without having to worry about this.
Where can I download Nexus Mods?
If you want to start downloading mods from Nexus, then visit their webpage. You can find it at www.NexusMods.com. Once there, you’ll see a simple display that will direct you where to go.
You can browse for the mods that you want under the “Mods” tab of the website. Sort by new, trending, top files, or any other category that you want. You can also search for specific game mods with the site’s search function.
When you find a mod that you want, click on the link that takes you to its page. There, you’ll find information about what it does and how to use it. When you’re ready to download the mod, just click the download link near the top of the page. Downloading from Nexus Mods is as easy as that.
What Mods are available through Nexus Mods?
Nexus Mods has close to 300,000 different mods available. These are spread across a total of more than 1,200 games. So you can find a wide variety of mods to choose from through the platform.
Some of the most popular mods on the platform are for large, hugely popular games, like:
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Elder Scrolls Skyrim
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Cyberpunk 2077
Really, if the game that you play is somewhat popular, there’s a good chance Nexus Mods has it. The best way to find the mods that you want is to visit their site and search for yourself.
Are PC game mods safe?
Generally speaking, yes, PC game mods are very safe. But you need to be careful about how you download them. For example, you need to make sure that you download only from reputable sites. Steer clear of relatively unknown modding sites to prevent yourself from inadvertently downloading malware.
If you download from a reputable site like Nexus Mods, your risk is very, very minimal. The worst thing that could happen from one of these mods is that your save file gets corrupted.
So you may want to wait until you finish the game before downloading a mod. But even this problem is relatively unlikely to occur if you download from a reputable site.
How are game mods made?
Game mods are usually made by individual developers or small teams of developers. They create mods by decompiling game resources and then modifying them.
Some games are also designed to encourage modification. For example, a developer might have created built-in modding tools for their game. They might also have made modifiable resource files to make this process easier.
Some modders might also directly edit the game’s executable file. Then, they can inject their own code into it to achieve large-scale game modifications.
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