Mod Browsing Overhaul Discussion

[Lamarrio]

On 3/13/2025 at 8:03 AM, mfPixel said:

Hey everyone, head of design at Nexus Mods here - thanks for all the feedback so far.

I wanted to provide some context for the recent search changes. The old search system made switching between content types (e.g., games and mods) difficult, and only the "Mods" category had a results preview. The new quick search improves this by making it easier to browse all content types while allowing you to preview more results.

We designed the new modal to be highly visual. During testing, we experimented with a more compact list view, but most users preferred larger thumbnails, as images are often the key factor when scanning for mods, collections, and especially images. If you're solely focused on mods, it’s easy to forget that users browse other types of content too.

Quality-of-Life Improvements

• You can now activate search instantly with the `/` hotkey and dismiss it with `Esc` for quick access.
• Keyboard navigation is coming soon, so you’ll be able to search and browse without a mouse (if that's your thing).
• Search is now much better at handling inexact queries (e.g., “baldurs gate” without an apostrophe) and includes keyword matching (e.g., “fo3” will return Fallout 3).

The general feedback was very positive in testing and during the closed and open beta periods. It’s been interesting to hear from people saying it’s helped them discover more new mods than they previously would have. I understand that this is a big change visually from what you’re used to - there is some extra functionality to coming where the initial screen will show your recent searches and saved games. This will make the modal feel less empty when first opened.

Why the Colour Changes?

The updated colours are part of a broader design transition. We’re rolling out brand-new pages soon, and these changes help make the experience more seamless when switching between old and new designs.

For those who have been using the site for years, we know big updates can be jarring—I’ve had the same reaction to changes on sites I love! But these updates are necessary to modernise the site’s core architecture, allowing us to build and release new features more efficiently. We really appreciate all your feedback and are excited to keep improving Nexus Mods.

Thank you so much, I love the new search feature. It has helped me find so many more mods I hadn't seen before. 

I personally don't have any issues with the UI and thoroughly like it

[zzundeadzz]

Moderators, we like you guys but please roll back to the old UI. It is hard to navigate with the new one

[Battlestar1965]

9 minutes ago, hdi83252 said:

I bet if all of you "premium" users complaining about the UI cancelled your plan, nexus would be forced to act, but we all know you won't. You'll just whine a little and in the end accept it.

I hate to bring this to you, but there are many "Premium" users, like me, who MANY years ago paid a measly 29,99 € or so for a lifetime premium membership (of course, back in the days it was a gamble if this site would exist "a lifetime") . So i can't just cancel it (and do not want to....). And bad design now or not, i appreciate, that NEXUS kept its promise, and I'm still a "Premium" member, and I'm using NEXUS every day.

[Isguros]

2 minutes ago, Lamarrio said:

Thank you so much, I love the new search feature. It has helped me find so many more mods I hadn't seen before. 

I personally don't have any issues with the UI and thoroughly like it

How did it help you find more mods?

[Idsertian]

16 minutes ago, hdi83252 said:

I bet if all of you "premium" users complaining about the UI cancelled your plan, nexus would be forced to act, but we all know you won't. You'll just whine a little and in the end accept it.

A. Wouldn't make a blind bit of difference for someone like me, I bought a lifetime plan.

B. Make sure to wipe the boot polish off your nose before you stand up. Gr8 b8 m8, I r8 8/8.

[showler]

17 minutes ago, hdi83252 said:

I bet if all of you "premium" users complaining about the UI cancelled your plan, nexus would be forced to act, but we all know you won't. You'll just whine a little and in the end accept it.

If every Premium subscriber here cancelled their subscription that would reduce the money that Nexus Mods donates to mod authors but have no impact on the company's finances at all.

[showler]

4 minutes ago, zzundeadzz said:

Moderators, we like you guys but please roll back to the old UI. It is hard to navigate with the new one

The Moderators have nothing to do with this.

[D4ndor]

This layout is f*#@ing horrible, please atleast give us the option to use the old one.

[zzundeadzz]

7 minutes ago, showler said:

The Moderators have nothing to do with this.

At least,I hope that they are collecting feedback, then pass it to their UI team

[showler]

10 minutes ago, zzundeadzz said:

At least,I hope that they are collecting feedback, then pass it to their UI team

The UI team is here to collect the feedback themselves.  Why would they need moderators to be involved.