Logo New Vegas Rebuilt

Graphics

This section is dedicated to overhauling all graphics within New Vegas. It's split across two Collections - Graphics Core overhauls the essential elements whilst Graphics Extras overhauls smaller details.

Newer texture packs should override older ones. Open up the NVTF.ini (New Vegas Tick Fix) and ensure bModifyDirectXBehavior=1 and bUseDefaultPoolForTextures=1 so they work properly.

Textures shouldn’t go above 2k as this can negatively impact performance due to NV’s rocky engine. You should generally have mods override File Conflicts in the order they are listed in this guide i.e. Poco Bueno should be installed on top of (After) NMC.

The creaky Gamebryo engine wasn't designed to handle large textures so well, so this section is very likely to impact your performance if you're playing on a lower-end PC such as myself. Feel free to carefully pick and choose the mods as you see fit. NMC + Poco Bueno + Superpele's Pack are the three I consider the most essential. Those combined will provide a major environmental facelift with relatively small performance impact since they're well-optimized textures. The Graphics Extras Collection should additionally have a relatively minimal impact on performance since it focuses on smaller objects only.

Collection 8a/10: Graphics Core

The following mods combined will overhaul the central visual elements of New Vegas - environmental textures, weapons, NPCs, their clothing and armors. This Collection contains all of the below mods.

You must follow the LOD guide after installing this Collection to generate new Level of Detail graphic objects. Otherwise your distant visuals will significantly glitch out due to your newly installed textures replacing the vanilla ones.

NMC's Texture Pack

Installation instructions:

High quality, vanilla-esque and well-optimized texture pack upgrading most environmental textures. The optional files should be installed in the order above so they update their relavent files correctly.

POCO BUENO Texture Pack

Installation instructions:

Another excellent texture pack covering many environmental textures not covered by NMC. You should override all NMC conflicts to avoid the packs clashing with one other in overlapping objects.

I would advise against installing the other pack from the same author, POCO OJO, as it contains 4k textures with a more complicated installation process.

Superpele's Disordered ReTexture Pack

Installation instructions:

Another beautiful texture pack featuring super clean vanilla-esque textures primarily upgrading interiors. Accompanies NMC and POCO perfectly. Override all conflicts again.

I'll not be repeating the override instruction for future texture packs from this point. Generally texture packs should override all conflicts with other packs to prevent textures from one pack mis-matching with textures in another.

Wasteland Flora & Terrain Overhaul

Installation instructions:

Improvements to the Mojave Desert fauna and terrain.

Wasteland Flora & Terrain Overhaul

Installation instructions:

Improvements to the Mojave Desert fauna and terrain.

The Main File I recommend is the Vanilla tree replacer because it only replaces the vanilla trees. The other Main File option adds many more which may have an impact on lower end PCs. Install that variation if you think your PC can handle the extra object rendering.

Vurt's Improved Plants

Installation instructions:

Replaces lower quality plants from the above overhaul mod.

Improved LOD Noise Texture

Installation instructions:

Improves the generic LOD noise texture.

F4NV Billboards

Installation instructions:

Replaces Mojave Wasteland billboards with high quality ones matching the original designs.

Limestone Quarry Rock Redux 2k

Installation instructions:

Replaces the rock textures in Quarry Junction that otherwise look noticably low-res.

Weapon Mesh Improvement Mod

Installation instructions:

Reworks all weapon meshes for bug fixes.

Simplified Weapon Retexture Project

Installation instructions:

An optimised version of an oldie but goodie pack remaking most ranged ballistic weapons in vanilla-friendly form. You’ll find the Cowboy Repeater gets annoying to aim down sights as its unique sight takes up way more screen space than any other weapon sight (as designed by Obsidian), so no Repeater Peep Sight removes that. The final mods patch SWRP visual glitch oversights.

Weapon Textures from Heaven

Installation instructions:

Weapon texture pack with a realistic visual style focused on traditional ballistic weapons like the Pistol, Caravan Shotgun, Battle Rifle etc.

WAP Cowboy Repeater Series Replacer

Installation instructions:

I personally find WTH’s Cowboy Repeater too distractingly different from the vanilla design, so you should download this cleaner one to replace it instead.

Weapon Retexture from EVE

Installation instructions:

Adds nice energy weapons textures taken from a buggier effects mod.

Melee Retextures

The three mods below combines replace all melee weapon textures. Download the single Main File for each.

New Vegas Redesigned 2 Revised

Installation instructions:

Bug fixed character overhaul improving the faces of all major NPCs whilst remaining close to their original character designs.

NVR2R by default includes many compatibility patches for other mods. Note down which compatibility patches are offered and reinstall this if you install any mods it requires a patch for.

TYPE4 - Body and Armors

Installation instructions:

Excellent female body replacer removing visible neck seams. It unfortunately includes needlessly skimpy outfits for more revealing NPCs like the prostitues and Fiends. More Modest T4 replaces those outfits with vanilla ones.

Improved Vanilla Male Body

Installation instructions:

Much nicer male body replacer. 2k patch replaces 4k textures for performance.

All Non DLC Clothing Retex 4K-2K

Installation instructions:

Good quality AI upscales of all NPC clothing and armour.

NV Armor Clothing Upscale Project

Installation instructions:

More modern AI upscales better than the above with a more natural look and optimised files, but it currently only touches DLC clothing with some vanilla ones. It will likely completely replace the above in the future.

Assorted Leather Armor Retexture

Installation instructions:

Realistic leather armor replacer.

Assorted Legion Armor Retexture

Installation instructions:

Realistic Legion armor replacer.

Adamowicz Vault Suits

Installation instructions:

Slick Vault suits retexture based on the original concept art.

ADAM Reborn

Installation instructions:

Excellent replacer for all NCR armors.

Natural Duster Coats

Installation instructions:

Reanimates ADAM's duster coat outfits for realism.

Power Armor Visual Enhancement (PAVE)

Installation instructions:

Beautiful recent Power Armor overhaul.

aMidianBorn NV Book Of Water

Installation instructions:

Very old but very good armour and enemy remodels. Get Book of Flesh only (PAVE has made Book of Steel redundant).

aMidianBorn Superb Mutants

Installation instructions:

High quality Super Mutants from aMidianBorn previously unreleased on Nexus Mods.

Collection 8b/10: Graphics Extras

The mods contained in this Collection upgrade smaller objects including immersive animations which shouldn't impact performance.

LOD generation isn't required for this Collection since it only replaces small objects.

6IXES Clutter Texture Pack NV Edition

Installation instructions:

Excellent clutter retextures.

Additional Clutter Replacers

The Main File for each of these clutter texture packs should be installed for extra retextures. 6IXES should override any conflicts so that only the missing objects are replaced as 6IXES is more recently made and vanilla-like.

Physically Based Collections

Bale's Physically Based packs are incredibly detailed asset replacers for common clutter objects. Whilst they look stunning, they make objects considerably more detailed and therefore can have a noticable performance impact. You should only install their mods if you have a higher end PC that can handle it.

Better Books

Installation instructions:

High quality book replacers.

Magazines of Unparalleled Aesthetic Quality

Installation instructions:

High quality magazine replacers.

High Res Vanilla Posters and Graffiti

Installation instructions:

Better posters.

Hectrol's Textures

Hectrol released a bunch of excellent individual textures shortly after the game came out. They're all relatively small AKA performance-friendly whilst looking significantly bettter than the vanilla game. I recommend installing each of these.

EXE - Effect teXtures Enhanced

Installation instructions:

Better effects textures. They may impact performance.

NV Translucency Overhaul

Installation instructions:

Texture pack overhauling objects with transparency like windows, bottles, glass pitchers etc.

Alcohol Bottles OVERHAUL

Installation instructions:

Better alcohol bottles.

PM's HD Ammo Boxes

Installation instructions:

High quality ammo boxes replacer.

Detail Mods

Installing the below mods will replace specific objects I noticed seemed low-res throughout my New Vegas playthroughs.

Ashen's Animations

This final set adds subtle, immersive animations from Ashens2014 to world objects you’ll see often in the Wasteland. I carefully curated these suggestions as some I found distracting or didn’t suit its context well enough IMO i.e. an animated thermometer for Novac, a poor town, I skipped since to me it doesn't make sense for them to have more advanced technology. They make the world feel much more alive when installed together with a non-exitent performance impact.