ETS2 graphics mods: the best ones for 1.61 (2026)

As of November 9, 2026, the most complete graphics mods for Euro Truck Simulator 2 1.61 are free and install from Steam Workshop: DBM Lighting Nova for lighting and sky, dirceu junior’s Weather 3.9 4K (over 400,000 subscribers), Kass’s Realistic Brutal Graphics and Weather for weather, and TGModz’s Ultimate Graphics Mod if your drive can take 34 GB. Below they are grouped by what they change, with version, size and what you need to know so they don’t clash.

Summary: the best ETS2 graphics mods for 1.61

All of them are free and none needs a DLC. Versions are the ones each author states; if your game is newer, check the mod page before enabling it.

Lighting and sky: the change you notice most

If you install just one mod, make it a lighting mod. DBM Lighting Nova rebuilds 1.61 lighting with 68 sun profiles, 205 skies made from HDR photos, dark nights with the Milky Way and a filmic tone curve; its author updated it on October 26, 2026 (version 1.4.3). The long-standing alternative is dirceu junior’s Weather 3.9 4K: new lighting and 319 skies at 4096×1024, compatible with every map and one of the most used mods on the Workshop.

For nights there are two light tweaks: Realistic Dark Night (2 MB) makes shadows up to 47 times darker while barely dimming headlights and street lamps, and Actual Day-/Nighttime adjusts sunrise and sunset every week to the real times for each part of the map.

Weather, rain and storms

Kass’s Realistic Brutal Graphics and Weather is the most complete weather overhaul: rain with more than ten intensities, thunderstorms with lightning, fog, new skies and tweaked HDR, and it works in Convoy. Lionv8’s Realistic Weather System takes another route: ten rain intensities with probabilities based on real climate data for each area, but it is incompatible with other graphics or weather mods.

For glass and water there are standalone pieces that work with almost anything:

• Darkcaptain’s Realistic Rain: more and sharper raindrops, splashes and about 20 thunder sounds. His alternative take is Cold Rain.
• Yet Another Rain Mod: only changes textures and glass, so it coexists with weather mods.
• Grimes’s Realistic Rain Reflections: more believable puddles and wet asphalt, alone or on top of another weather mod (not for TruckersMP).
• YARM Particles Addon: tyres throw about 200 water particles instead of 4 to 8.

All-in-one packs

TGModz’s Ultimate Graphics Mod is the most searched one: new rain, skies, fog and reflections, Convoy-compatible, but it takes 34 GB. Allan’s All-In-One Graphics Fidelity bundles 73 16K HDR skies, warm sunsets, lightning storms, windshield rain and grass drawn further away in 13 GB, and already has a build for the 1.62 beta. With a pack like these you don’t need (and shouldn’t add) another sky or weather mod.

Asphalt, vegetation and water

Claude Shannon’s DBM series covers the environment: DBM Road Textures 4K swaps asphalt, sidewalks and curbs for real CC0 scans (5.5 GB, with a ProMods add-on), DBM Vegetation adds 5,333 vegetation models and 30% more grass, and DBM Water redoes waves, foam and shores in just 200 MB. dirceu junior’s alternatives are Asphalt Improved 4K (its author confirms it works on 1.61), Tree Improved 4K and the lighter Grass 4.0 lite.

Headlights and lights

• Frkn64’s Realistic Vehicle Lights: better range and reflections for your truck, traffic and the map; works in Convoy and weighs 1.2 MB.
• Avelium’s Better Flares: flares and light beams in six tones, with more than 140 compatible modded trucks.
• ETS2 Headlight Options: halogen, LED and xenon headlights with different colours and ranges.

Performance, load order and compatibility

4K texture mods are the heaviest: DBM Road Textures, DBM Vegetation and a pack like TGModz’s easily add up to more than 40 GB, and you will feel it in video memory. Rules that avoid most problems:

• Only one sky and weather mod at a time (DBM Lighting Nova, Weather 3.9, Brutal Graphics or an all-in-one pack).
• Glass rain, light and texture mods usually go above the weather mod in the mod manager, and asphalt mods above map mods.
• If you use Grimes’s seasons, check the mod page: Tree Improved 4K and Grass 4.0 lite say they are not compatible with them.

Step by step in ETS2 mod load order and, if something breaks, in why ETS2 mods are not working.

Which combination should you pick?

• Best look with little effort: DBM Lighting Nova + Realistic Rain + Realistic Vehicle Lights.
• More dramatic weather: Realistic Brutal Graphics and Weather + Realistic Rain Reflections.
• Everything at once: Ultimate Graphics Mod or Allan’s All-In-One, with no other sky mods.
• Modest PC: Weather 3.9 4K, Realistic Dark Night and the light mods, which are tiny.

More ETS2 guides: ETS2 winter and snow mods, realistic mods, best ETS2 mods and how to install ETS2 mods.

FAQ

What is the best graphics mod for ETS2 1.61?

For most players, DBM Lighting Nova or Weather 3.9 4K: they change lighting and sky, which is what you notice most, and weigh 2.5 to 5 GB. If you want a full pack and have the space, TGModz’s Ultimate Graphics Mod (34 GB).

Can I use graphics mods in Convoy and TruckersMP?

In Convoy, the official multiplayer, yes: several say so explicitly, such as Realistic Brutal Graphics and Weather, the Ultimate Graphics Mod and Realistic Vehicle Lights. In TruckersMP it depends on each mod; Realistic Rain Reflections, for example, is not allowed.

Can I combine several weather mods?

It’s not a good idea: two sky or weather mods overwrite each other. Combine one weather mod with glass rain, light or texture mods, which usually coexist.

Are ETS2 graphics mods free?

All the mods in this guide are. Some authors, like Grimes, offer ad-free downloads or separate paid packs, but the mod itself can be downloaded for free.