The best ETS2 realism mods for 1.61
Out of the box, ETS2 is a forgiving game: light trucks, short nights, thin traffic and mirrors that lie about distance. These free mods fix that, one area at a time. Every one is confirmed for ETS2 1.61 and links to its official page. Below we explain what each does, which ones you can't combine, and the order to put them in.
1. The quick way: two ready-made sets
If you'd rather not work out the details, start with one of our mod sets. Each has the load order worked out and a button that adds the whole set to My mods:
- Realism starter set: seven Steam Workshop mods for sound, rain, day length, traffic, physics, mirrors and seat. No DLC needed.
- Night driving & lights set: realistic headlights and flares, proper nights and better rain.
2. Sound
Sound Fixes Pack
The single most popular mod for the game. It doesn't touch your engine. Instead it fixes and adds hundreds of sounds around you: tyres on different surfaces, suspension knocks, air brakes, trains, sirens and the engines and horns of AI traffic. If you install one mod, make it this one. Sound Fixes Pack →
Engine sounds
For your own truck, add an engine sound mod made for it, such as Iveco Cursor Stock Sounds for the Iveco range. Engine sound mods work alongside Sound Fixes Pack.
3. Driving and physics
Realistic Truck Physics
Frkn64's physics mod makes trucks feel heavy: softer suspension, a cab that rocks on its mounts, and a trailer that pushes and sways like the real thing. The author tunes it for the gameplay settings truck stability, cabin and suspension stiffness and trailer stability all at 100%. Realistic Truck Physics →
True Mirror FOV
The game's stock mirrors make cars behind you look further away than they are. This mod gives you flat main mirrors at real distances and wide convex mirrors for blind spots, as on a European truck. Its author asks for it at the very top of your mod list. True Mirror FOV →
4. Traffic and police
Real Traffic Density or RoadPulse
Real Traffic Density bases traffic on real-world counts: busy motorways, quiet nights, smarter traffic lights. RoadPulse adds rush hours that follow the in-game clock and queues at borders and tolls. They change the same settings, so pick one.
Realistic Police System
Fines closer to how real European police work: patrols rarely fine a truck for a few km/h over, but cameras still catch you. Don't combine it with other mods that change fines. Realistic Police System →
5. Weather, light and graphics
Actual Day-/Nighttime
Sunrise and sunset follow the real calendar, so winter nights are long and summer evenings stay light. In winter, switch off the game's time zones option, or use the time-zone add-on the author recommends. Actual Day-/Nighttime →
Rain: Realistic Rain
Better raindrops on the glass, road spray and rain and thunder sounds that change with the storm. Switch off your truck's automatic rain-sensor wipers with it. Realistic Rain →
Lights: Better Flares
Headlights that throw a real beam, believable lights on other vehicles and dimmer street lamps. Its Traffic add-on needs Sound Fixes Pack. Better Flares → If you prefer, Realistic Vehicle Lights does a similar job, but use only one light mod at a time.
Full graphics packs
Realistic Brutal Graphics And Weather and Allans All-In-One Graphics Fidelity replace the sky, light and weather all at once. They look great, but they're all-in-one: use one of them on its own, instead of Realistic Rain and other weather mods.
6. In the cab
Real Seat Adjustment removes the limits on seat movement, so you can set up a real driving position, and DBM Upscaled Clusters makes every dashboard sharp and readable.
InteriorsReal Seat Adjustment
by KmizolGamingRemoves the limits on the in-cab seat adjustment, so you can move the driving position as far forward, back or sideways as you like.1.61Free
InteriorsDBM Upscaled Clusters
by DBM ModsSharper dashboards on every truck: instrument dials, small screens and warning lights rebuilt at higher resolution, with crisp numbers.1.61Free
SoundsIveco Cursor Stock Sounds
by SlavJerryRealistic stock engine sounds for the SCS Iveco Stralis, Hi-Way and S-Way: Cursor 8 to 13 and XCursor 13 engines, plus the ZF retarder.1.61Free7. Mods you shouldn't combine
| Choose one of | Why |
|---|---|
| Real Traffic Density / RoadPulse | Both set traffic density and timing. |
| Better Flares / Realistic Vehicle Lights | Both replace headlights and flares. |
| Brutal Graphics / Allans Graphics / Realistic Rain | The two graphics packs include their own weather and rain. |
| Realistic Police System / other fine mods | Only one set of fine rules can apply. |
Load order, top of the Mod Manager first: True Mirror FOV, then Realistic Rain, Better Flares, Sound Fixes Pack, Actual Day-/Nighttime and your traffic mod, then everything else, with map mods at the bottom. My mods puts any list you build into this order for you. More on why order matters: load order explained.
8. Quick questions
Will realism mods slow my game down?
Sound, physics, traffic-rule and mirror mods cost almost nothing. Full graphics packs and very dense traffic are the heavy ones. If your frame rate drops, lower traffic density or try a lighter graphics setup first.
Do these work with ProMods and other maps?
Yes. Put them above your map mods. Traffic mods in particular need to be above maps so their settings win.
Can I use them in Convoy multiplayer?
Everyone in a convoy needs the same mods for things to match. Some authors offer a separate convoy version, so check each mod's page.
Do I need any DLC?
No. Every mod in this guide works with the base game.
See the full lists of sound, gameplay & physics and graphics & weather mods.