Stardew Valley players have waited a long time for the 1.6 update, many of whom have taken to modding the game via SMAPI to experience new fan-made content. But now that Stardew Valley 1.6 is here, many players are wondering how to ditch the incompatible version of SMAPI so they can experience the updated content without mods interfering.
How to bypass SMAPI to play Stardew Valley 1.6
If you are like me, you likely had SMAPI as the default application when launching Stardew Valley, and when you went to play the new update, you were told the launch failed due to an outdated version of SMAPI. Don’t worry; there is a workaround.
Follow the steps below to launch Stardew Valley 1.6:
- Open Steam Library
- Right Click on Stardew Valley
- Hover over ‘Manage’ and click ‘Browse Local Files’
- Scroll down and click on ‘Stardew Valley’ (its file type is application)
- This should launch Stardew Valley without SMAPI
Set Stardew Valley as Default Launcher
The reason players are having issues is that they are likely launching SMAPI as their default Stardew Valley application. Follow the steps below to set the official Stardew Valley applications as the game’s default launcher.
- Open Steam Library
- Right Click in Stardew Valley
- Click on ‘Properties’
- Under General, there should be a box labeled ‘Launch Options’
- If there is anything in the box, delete it and leave it blank
This should solve all problems related to running SMAPI with Stardew Valley 1.6. Concerned Ape recommends playing the update without mods to start, but you can update your SMAPI launcher to run mods that are already compatible with the new update.
If you can’t wait and are curious to see everything that was added in Stardew Valley 1.6, check out our Patch Notes guide. New farms, events, NPCs, and more await you in Stardew Valley!
