Cloud Shadows - Community Shaders
🟡 Updated this year⚠️ Install Order · 6 steps
Install in this order, then this mod last — most mods fail to load without their framework and dependencies in place.
Preview
🔍 Analysis
- 👍 0.6% endorsement rate
- 🏆 #98 of 108 Visuals and Graphics mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
OVERVIEW
This Community Shaders addon casts shadows from clouds. Supports SE, AE, and VR.
This is a custom technique developed in a collaboration between me and doodlum. The cloud shadows are aligned with the sun, using the actual clouds system rather than a scrolling texture, meaning that when clouds cover it the player will be shrouded in darkness. Clouds are rendered from the perspective of the player and unprojected to cover the world, acting as an extremely fast approximation. The cloud shadows texture itself is rendered during the cubemap reflections rendering as a side effect, meaning that it has no additional draw calls.
The cloud shadows are also used for volumetric lighting, meaning that godrays from the sun can be occluded too. Momentary breaks in the clouds during cloudy weather should be visually striking.
INSTALLATION & REQUIREMENTS
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[]Install Community Shaders and all it's requirements.[/]
[]Install this mod below it.[/]
CONTRIBUTORS
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[]ProfJack[/]
[]doodlum
SOURCE
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[]ProfJack[/]
Cloud Shadows is a Community Shaders feature that casts dynamic shadows from clouds onto the world, enhancing visual depth in Skyrim. It supports Special Edition, Anniversary Edition, and VR, making it a versatile addition for players using the Community Shaders framework. With over 6,700 endorsements and 1.1 million downloads, it's a popular choice for visual enhancement.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Huge community trust with 6,760 endorsements and 1.1M downloads — this is a proven mod.
- Works across SE, AE, and VR, so it covers nearly every modern Skyrim setup.
- Cloud shadows add a subtle but noticeable depth to outdoor scenes, making the world feel more alive.
⚠️ Cons
- Requires Community Shaders as a dependency — you'll need to install that first.
- Last updated in May 2026 — if you're on an older game version, check compatibility before installing.
For Skyrim players who already use Community Shaders and want to push visual fidelity further. If you're into atmospheric lighting and enjoy watching clouds cast moving shadows over the landscape, this is a must-have. Skip if you don't use Community Shaders or prefer gameplay-focused mods.
💡 Beginner Tips
- Make sure you have Community Shaders installed and updated before adding this mod.
- If you're using a mod manager like Vortex or MO2, let it handle the file placement to avoid conflicts.
- For VR users, verify that your Skyrim VR version is compatible with the Community Shaders build you're using.
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- Skyrim Mods
- Author
- ProfJack doodlum
- Version
- 1.4.0
- Downloads
- 1,137,582
- Endorsements
- 6,760
- Category
- Visuals and Graphics
- Created
- 1/16/2025
- Updated
- 5/15/2026
🔧 How to Install Skyrim Mods
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