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
- Reviews
- Very Positive
- 92% of 378K
- Recent reviews
- Very Positive
- 80% of 2,343 in 30 days
- Playing now
- 14K
- peak 24h 24K
- Steam Deck
- Verified
- Last update
- 1 month ago
- Aug 20, 2026
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
92% of 377,842 reviews are positive · 80% of 2,343 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.
Screenshots and trailer
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition system requirements
As published by the developer.
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
PC version details
DRM, required accounts, controller support and Steam features.
- DRM
- None declared on Steam
- Controller
- Keyboard and mouse
- Platforms
- Windows
- Achievements
- 75
- Steam features
- Cloud saves, Family Sharing
- Age rating
- 17+
Steam Deck: Verified
- 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
Multiplayer and co-op
Languages
Full audio: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Polish, Russian, Japanese. Text only: Traditional Chinese.
Tags
- Open World
- RPG
- Adventure
- Fantasy
- Singleplayer
- Character Customization
- Moddable
- Dragons
- Story Rich
- Magic
- First-Person
- Action
- Atmospheric
- Great Soundtrack
- Third Person
- Stealth
Recent updates
- Aug 20, 2026 · The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition - Update 1.7.99 (Updated Aug 27)
- Sep 20, 2022 · The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition - Update 1.6.640
- Sep 15, 2022 · The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition - Update 1.6.629
- Jan 6, 2022 · The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition - Update 1.6.353
- Dec 13, 2021 · The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition - Update 1.6.342
2 DLC available.
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