How to install and use mods (Snakebite)

An easy guide on how to install the most popular mods for MGS V using the helpful Snakebite Mod Manager.

Introduction

As soon as I heard that MGS V was coming to PC I was very excited to see the mods that would come with it. Some talented folks had managed to get model swaps and other small things done in Ground Zeroes, so no-one really thought we would get any major mods in. To an extent, this is sadly true, though there are still some amazing mods out there for every kind of player!
In this tutorial I will show you how to install my favourite mod, The Man Who Sold The World by Heartless Seph and Chelly; though by using this guide, you should be able to install any mod that is compatible with the SnakeBite Mod Manager by Topher, which will make your modding experience far simpler and faster. Most mods will either have a seperate version that is compatible with SnakeBite or will only be compatible with SnakeBite. If you're unsure of its compatibility, you can download the mod and check for the .MGSV file ending, which shows it is compatible with SnakeBite. If there is no .MGSV to be seen it is not compatible with SnakeBite and will instead need a manual installation.

Installing and setting up the SnakeBite Mod Manager

Installation

The first thing you need to do is to set up a NexusMods account, which is the largest collection of MGS V mods there is and the platform we will be using for installing our mods. Follow these steps:

• Navigate to this link[forums.nexusmods.com]
  
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Create Account
  
• You do not need to choose a payment option unless you wish to directly support the NexusMods community
  
• Follow the registration
  
• Confirm your e-mail address and you can now download any mod from the expansive NexusMods library

Next, follow these steps to install the SnakeBite Mod Manager:

• Navigate to this link[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Click on the 'Files' tab:
  
• Find the newest version of the SnakeBite Mod Manager and click 'Download Manually':
  
• You will be prompted to select a location for the Application
  
• Choose the most convenient location for yourself as there is no specific place you must install it
  
• Click 'Save' and wait for the installation to finish

Set Up

• Find the folder 'SnakeBite' at your install location and make sure you have all of these files:
  
• Open SnakeBite.exe:
  
• Follow the installation wizard and note that 00.dat and 01.dat are files used to modify MGS V manually. Provided you have not modded the game prior to installing SnakeBite you will be fine. If you are unsure or nervous you can re-validate the game files thorugh Steam as the Wizard suggests.

Congratulations, you have now installed and set up the SnakeBite Mod Manager and are ready to start getting some mods!

Installing and setting up The Man Who Sold The World

Due to the nature of this mod please be aware of spoilers both on the mod page and in the guide
This insanely cool mod will replace Venom Snake's head with Big Boss's.You can also choose between having a ponytail or a mullet; Peace Walker-style long-sleeve arms, MGS V-style short-sleeves or keeping the Bionic Arm; and having a thicker beard. Due to all these options there are a variety of ways to go about installing the mod. Hopefully this will cover all possibilities, but if not, feel free to critique in the comments!

Installation

• Navigate to this link[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Go to the 'Files' tab as we did with the SnakeBite Mod Manager
  • Download 'Red' if you want anything except a thicker beard texture
    
  • Download 'Yellow' if you want a thicker beard texture
    
  • Download 'Blue' if you specifically want to use:
    
    • Thicker Beard Texture
      
    • Mullet
      
    • MGS V Arms (no Bionic Arm, short sleeve only)
  • Download 'Green' if you want to replace the Character Select picture of Venom Snake with a picture of Big Boss
• Choose any installation location you want and wait for the download to finish

Set Up

I will be using the Normal Beard Texture Version for the remainder of this guide, but the Thicker Beard Texture installs in exactly the same way and also has the same files/choices. Just keep in mind that one Thicker Beard Texture combination is bugged and will require a fix that we located in the 'Files' tab to be installed as well

• Locate the .zip file you downloaded (no I won't show you how to install winRAR)
  
• There is a 'TMWSTW Joint Hair PW Arms.mgsv' and a 'TMWSTW Joint Hair TPP Arms.mgsv'. Extract one of these if you want to have a Ponytail on some outfits and a Mullet on others, as shown in this image:
• Otherwise:
  
  • Extract either 'TMWSTW Mullet.mgsv' or 'TMWSTW Ponytail.mgsv' depending on which hairstyle you prefer
    
  • Extract either 'TMWSTW PW Arms.mgsv' if you want long sleeve arms of 'TMWSTW TPP Arms.mgsv' if you want short sleeve arms. Alternatively, extract neither if you want to keep the bionic arm. Also note that whichever arm replacement you choose, Snake will still have his Bionic Arm equipped. And yes, Rocket Punch does indeed look completely ♥♥♥♥♥♥.
• Now open the SnakeBite Mod Manager and click on 'Mods'
  
• Click on 'Install .MGSV' and install the files you've extracted one at a time

And that's it! You can now open MGS V either through Steam or through SnakeBite and admire Big Boss in all his beauty! Well done, you!

Other mods

Some of my other favourite mods that you can install using SnakeBite include:

Infinite Heaven by tin man tex

Link[www.nexusmods.com]
This incredible mod does an insane amount of things to improve your MGS V experience. It includes:

• A free-roaming camera mode
  
• The ability to customise Diamond Dog soldiers at Mother Base
  
• The ability to customise Diamond Dog soldiers that you play as
  
• Removing the necessity of always having a Primary Weapon
  
• Amping up guard AI by giving them more resources
  
• The possibility of having each guard drop a random item upon death
  
• Way, way, way more stuff!

Viper - SneakingSuit by Alx

Link[www.nexusmods.com]
One of many re-texture mods, but definitely my favourite so far. Adds a little flair to the DLC Sneaking Suit. I never really understood having bright orange bands on a suit designed specifically to keep you hidden, but I guess the USSR ought to know what they're doing.

No More Timers by Jarhad

Link[www.nexusmods.com]
One of my least favourite parts of MGS V was waiting for items to develop, for soldiers to finish their missions or for bases to finish building. Call me impatient but I would like my shiny SMG to be made as soon as I want it to be made. Well, this mod does it and now I wouldn't dream of living without it.

There are even more mods on the NexusMods MGS V Hub[www.nexusmods.com] like filters, model swaps and more! Just remember that not all mods work with SnakeBite, and happy modding!

Conclusion/Revisions

Thank you for reading this guide! If you have any questions about something going wrong or want to let me know how I explained something poorly/incorrectly, please do let me know in the comments! Also, if you would like a guide on how to manually install mods, I guess I can try that if there is enough demand..

26/06 : Initial Release
27/06 : Removed a bullet point mentioning the removed Core Files

[evil blunt]

@Shy would you like to elaborate or is this just a "trust me bro"?

[Shy]

The current build of snakebite mod manager has several viruses in it

[Nikkolai of Jericho]

I like that retexture mod for the soviet sneaking suit. It's a neat little concept. Now I call it the Viper Suit.

[bunnytickles]

@outlastwasgood it's the location where you installed the game; usually {Drive letter}\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\{Game name} .

[Otakon]

Hi, I'm very new to modding, what does "Metal Gear Solid V installation Directory" mean?

[GabiValear_]

Thank you so much !!

[bunnytickles]

@GabiValear_ yeah no it won't be impacted at all, all the mods i shared don't affect anyone or any online aspect

[GabiValear_]

no no... i saw that comment, i mean about online functions like online resources, online money, the league of FP (daily and weekly)..

[bunnytickles]

@GabiValear_ think i mentioned in an earlier comment that MGO is completely separate from the single player so there's no worries that it'll be affected :)

[GabiValear_]

Thank you for the info!! One fast question which is one of my worries, will i lose the online functions of the game if i install mods with SnakeBite?