PCGame

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition

Open-world fantasy RPG built around freedom, dragons, and character customization

Bethesda Game Studios · Published by Bethesda Softworks · Released Oct 27, 2016

RPG

Reviews
Very Positive
94% of 239K
Recent reviews
Very Positive
93% of 2,872 in 30 days
Players
27K
daily peak, Nov 7, 2026
Steam Deck
Verified
Last update on Steam
2 months ago
Aug 27, 2026
Minimum PC
GTX 470
8 GB RAM · 12 GB disk
Full requirements

Metacritic: 74/100 (critic reviews)

What is The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition?

A single-player, first-person fantasy RPG set in the open world of Skyrim. You create a character, explore, complete quests, and fight with weapons, magic, and dragon shouts as the Dragonborn, a hero who absorbs dragon souls. This edition includes the game’s add-ons, remastered art and effects, and Creations content.

For you if...

  • +you like self-directed exploration in large fantasy worlds
  • +you enjoy customizing characters around combat and magic
  • +you want a single-player RPG with many side activities

Not for you if...

  • −you prefer linear campaigns with tightly directed objectives
  • −you want multiplayer or cooperative adventuring

What players say

94% of 238,534 reviews are positive · 93% of 2,872 in the last 30 days

Players most often praise the freedom to ignore the main quest, explore, pursue different roles, and extensively modify the game. Recent complaints focus on updates that break established mod lists while promoting paid Creations; players also say long-standing bugs remain unfixed.

Players over time

▼ -18% vs a month ago

Players online on Steam, one sample a day.

Highest since Sep 2026: 32,329 players on Oct 11, 2026.

Show the data
DayPlayers
Nov 7, 202626,598
Nov 6, 202623,366
Nov 5, 202623,100
Nov 4, 202623,742
Nov 3, 202623,816
Nov 2, 202625,495
Nov 1, 202624,784
Oct 31, 202624,194
Oct 30, 202621,542
Oct 29, 202621,257
Oct 28, 202622,029
Oct 27, 202625,232
Oct 26, 202626,871
Oct 25, 202629,155
Oct 24, 202626,526
Oct 23, 202625,296
Oct 22, 202625,350
Oct 21, 202625,699
Oct 20, 202626,492
Oct 19, 202628,911
Oct 18, 202629,976
Oct 17, 202627,637
Oct 16, 202626,018
Oct 15, 202626,774
Oct 14, 202627,650
Oct 13, 202629,793
Oct 12, 202631,958
Oct 11, 202632,329
Oct 10, 202629,781
Oct 9, 202628,631
Oct 8, 202628,617
Oct 7, 202628,989
Oct 6, 202629,893
Oct 5, 202631,767
Oct 4, 202631,248
Oct 3, 202627,183
Oct 2, 202623,759
Oct 1, 202623,026
Sep 30, 202623,308
Sep 29, 202624,350
Sep 28, 202626,211
Sep 27, 202626,916
Sep 26, 202624,033
Sep 25, 202623,072
Sep 24, 202623,110
Sep 23, 202614,458
Sep 23, 202624,102
Sep 22, 202624,710
Sep 21, 202619,150

How many players finish The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition?

13% of Steam players have unlocked «Dragonslayer», the achievement for finishing the main story.

Share of everyone who owns the game on Steam, including those who barely played it. Updated weekly.

Screenshots and trailer

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition screenshot 1

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition system requirements

Minimum: GTX 470, 8 GB RAM, 12 GB of disk space.

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition?

Tell us your graphics card once and every game page will answer this for you.

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Minimum

OS
Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit Version)
Processor
Intel i5-750/AMD Phenom II X4-945
Graphics
NVIDIA GTX 470 1GB /AMD HD 7870 2GB
Memory
8 GB RAM
Storage
12 GB available space

Recommended

OS
Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit Version)
Processor
Intel i5-2400/AMD FX-8320
Graphics
NVIDIA GTX 780 3GB /AMD R9 290 4GB
Memory
8 GB RAM
Storage
12 GB available space

Does The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition have co-op or multiplayer?

No: single-player only, no multiplayer modes declared.

Does The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition run on Steam Deck?

Verified Yes, Verified by Valve: it works on Steam Deck out of the box.

  • All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
  • Shows Steam Deck controller icons
  • In-game text is legible on Steam Deck
  • Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

PC version details

DRM
None declared on Steam
Controller
Keyboard and mouse
Platforms
Windows
Achievements
75
Steam features
Cloud saves, Family Sharing
Age rating
17+
Languages
Full audio: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Polish, Russian, Japanese. Text only: Traditional Chinese.

Does The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Nov 6, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam

Tags

Recent updates

2 DLC available.

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