High Poly Pearls (But Not Too High)
⚪ Last updated 2023⚠️ Install Order · 5 steps
Install in this order, then this mod last — most mods fail to load without their framework and dependencies in place.
Preview
🔍 Analysis
- 👍 3.1% endorsement rate — high engagement, a strong quality signal
- 🏆 #174 of 188 Models and Textures mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
More touchups for the asset remake. Like the fungal pods, high poly versions exist for pearls: shown in the comparison are those of High Poly Project. But I crave that very narrow window of better-than-vanilla-but-performs-like-vanilla.
That said, the pearlsmall nif is now actually larger than the regular pearl; there's no corners to cut to save polygons on an isosphere (literally) and unfortunately the increase in size on those is exponential - jumping from 80 triangles (two subdivisions, vanilla) to 320 (3 subdivisions). Still, it's ~60% that of HPP's mesh, so I consider it an improvement given they look identical in game. Even with mods that add pearls to the overworld, it shouldn't cause too much pain since they tend to only add two or three in any one location. I don't think vanilla has any at all.
The regular pearl, on the other hand, I'm very happy with. The vanilla mesh itself didn't look half bad with just a vertex smooth, and the addition of a couple faces to the blunt end makes it look great.
Model Comparison:
Vanilla Not Too High HPP
pearl.nif 5kb, 116 triangles 7kb, 194 triangles 61kb, 2. 8k triangles
pearlsmall.nif 3kb, 80 triangles 9kb, 320 triangles 13kb, 572 triangles
Other Not Too High Poly Models:
Swamp Fungal Pods
Creep Clusters
Like the concept? Check out IWantATardis' improved meshes, which are also compatible with vanilla retextures:
Spider Eggs
Giant's Toes
Human Hearts
Q: Mods in screenshots?
A: Cathedral 3D Clover Plant, Whiterun Valley - Hold Expansion, and TPOS V10 AE with the Riverwood Grove Extension.
High Poly Pearls (But Not Too High) is a lightweight mesh upgrade for Skyrim's pearls, offering improved geometry at a fraction of the polygon cost of High Poly Project. It includes both regular and small pearl variants, with the small pearl being 60% of HPP's mesh size while looking identical in game. Ideal for players who want visual polish without performance hits.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Performance-friendly upgrade: small pearl uses 320 triangles vs HPP's 572, so you get better looks without the fps hit.
- Author knows their stuff—they compared meshes side-by-side and even considered overworld spawns, so it's a thoughtful tweak.
- Works with vanilla retextures and pairs well with other mesh mods, so you can mix and match without conflicts.
⚠️ Cons
- Only covers pearls—if you want all items upgraded, you'll need to grab the other 'Not Too High Poly' mods separately.
- Small pearl mesh is actually larger than the regular pearl (320 vs 194 triangles), which might feel odd if you're a stickler for consistency.
- No ESP or plugin, so if you're using a mod that also edits pearl meshes, you'll need to manage file overwrites manually.
For Skyrim modders who want better-looking pearls without the performance cost of High Poly Project. It's perfect for texture overhaul enthusiasts who care about mesh quality but don't want to sacrifice FPS. Skip if you're not bothered by vanilla pearls or if you prefer all-in-one mesh overhauls.
💡 Beginner Tips
- Since this is a mesh-only mod, you can install it manually by dropping the meshes folder into your Data directory—no mod manager needed.
- If you're using High Poly Project, you'll need to choose which mod wins the file conflict; this mod is lighter, so it's a good alternative if you want performance.
- Check out the other 'Not Too High Poly' mods by the same author for consistent mesh quality across items like salmon roe and tomatoes.
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- Skyrim Mods
- Author
- Nodiel
- Version
- 1.0
- Downloads
- 8,056
- Endorsements
- 251
- Category
- Models and Textures
- Created
- 7/12/2023
- Updated
- 7/12/2023
🔧 How to Install Skyrim Mods
Download from Nexus.
📖 Full step-by-step install guide for Skyrim →
Visit the official mod page for specific installation instructions for this mod.
🎮 Need cheat codes or console commands? Check ur gaming wiki for Skyrim commands, item IDs, and more.
Keep browsing — more Skyrim mods await