Community-driven advanced graphics modifications for Skyrim
¶ Welcome to Community Shaders
Welcome to the official Community Shaders User Wiki. Here you'll find documentation, setup guides, FAQs and more. Designed for users, by users, this wiki outlines how to get started with Community Shaders.
Community Shaders is an open-source and comprehensive graphics enhancement framework for Skyrim that provides advanced lighting, materials, and visual effects. It's designed to be modular, allowing you to enable only the features you want while maintaining good performance.
¶ Feature Spotlight
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¶ True PBR MaterialsExperience next-generation graphics with physically-based rendering that brings realistic materials, accurate lighting, and stunning reflections to Skyrim. Every surface responds to light naturally, from weathered stone to polished metal. Advanced shader technology meets artistic vision to create truly immersive environments. |
¶ Advanced Screen-Space EffectsReal-time screen-space techniques such as Screen Space Global Illumination (SSGI) and Screen Space Shadows provide local, dynamic indirect lighting and improved shadowing without heavy precomputation. SSGI simulates indirect light in real time; screen-space shadows sharpen contact shadows and small-scale occlusion for more grounded scenes. |
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¶ SkylightingWorld-space sky shadows and skylighting add large-scale directional shadows and ambient illumination driven by the sky, improving outdoor realism and the feel of time-of-day lighting. Skylighting increases realism by casting believable sky-driven shading across terrain and objects. |
¶ Upscaling and Frame GenerationBoost your FPS with integrated upscaling technologies including FSR3 and DLSS. Get smoother gameplay through AI-powered frame generation that can multiply your frame rates while maintaining visual quality. Perfect for pushing higher resolutions or enabling more demanding visual features without sacrificing performance. |
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¶ User Guides
- Installing Community Shaders START HERE
- Vanilla Setup Guide RECOMMENDED
- ENB Migration Guide
¶ Incompatible Mods
- ENB (features will disable if ENB is detected)
- Shader Tools (Parallax Fix, ShaderTools Updated)
- PureDark Upscaler, EVLAS, AELAS, Trainwreck
¶ Cache System
¶ Shader CacheThe Shader Cache is a runtime collection of compiled shaders that replaces Skyrim's vanilla shaders. Clearing the shader cache forces shaders to recompile the next time the game encounters them. This is primarily useful for shader development and hot-loading and is not required for normal gameplay. |
¶ Disk CacheThe Disk Cache stores compiled shaders on disk and is automatically populated from the Shader Cache. If the disk cache is missing, outdated, or invalid, you'll see "Compiling Shaders" in the upper-left corner of the screen. The game will not freeze, but interaction will be disabled until compilation finishes. Once completed, subsequent launches should be instant with no additional delays. Location: Data/ShaderCache To clear: Delete this folder or press the "Clear Shaders" button in the top-right of the UI |
¶ Contributing
Community Shaders is community-driven. Contributions to code, documentation, testing, and shaders are welcome!