Version Of Skyrim
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VOICE OVER: Aaron Kline
WRITTEN BY: Aaron Kline
"The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" is one of the most ported games of all time, and we've got you covered on all of them! For this list, we'll be looking at every version of "Skyrim" in release order and what changes were made over the years. Our list includes the original “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” (2011), “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR” (2017), “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 10th Anniversary Edition” (2022), and more!
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at every version of Skyrim. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is one of the most ported games to date, with some implementing useful changes and others just being small upgrades. No matter how big or small they are, players can’t seem to stop buying each port. Take an arrow to the knee and hobble over to the comments to let us know which port you think is best.
11-11-11 - a date that will forever be remembered by gamers. Elder Scrolls has always been huge in scale, but Skyrim was the one that launched it into the mainstream and became the biggest in the series. Releasing for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3, the game hooked players with the deep role-playing mechanics and massive open world full of quest and depth. While gamers on PC and 360 were having a blast, gamers on PS3 were not so lucky. Sadly the PS3 version of Skyrim may just be the worst version to date. It suffered from performance issues, longer loading times, crashes, and your save file continuously getting larger. Even with this, the rough launch on the PS3 Skyrim still became a classic and the vanilla version of the game started the phenomena we know as Skyrim.
The start of the ports, the Legendary Edition added some gameplay improvements and all previous DLC all in one package. At the time this was the version to play, you could travel the expansive open world and even take on the Vampire Lord Harkon, build your own home, and make your way to the coast of Morrowind thanks to the great DLC with Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Draonborn. The legendary Edition also added new combat features like new combat cameras and the mounted combat we saw in Dragonborn. If you played Skyrim for hundreds of hours like some of us, there was also a new difficulty mode which made the game harder for the hardcore fans, while also allowing you to master all perks and level up your skills with no cap.
While the Legendary Edition was a glorified Game of the Year Edition, the Special Edition added some much requested features for console gamers. Special Edition was the first release for new hardware, the Xbox One and PS4, so of course this version took advantage. It looked spectacular with all the enhancements on the graphical side of things. We got remastered art and effects, dynamic depth of field, and new shaders for snow and water. This version was also the first to bring mods to consoles via the Creation Club. Finally console players were able to see what the mod community could do with new items, weapons, and armor all created by fans.
At long last, Skyrim on the go! This Switch port was the game we love and know, just on a more portable console. While this version didn’t do much other than finally give Nintendo fans a way to play Skyrim, there were a few new features. The Switch port added motion support, which was actually a nice addition when it comes to using ranged attacks. The biggest addition had to be Amiibo support and the amazing Zelda themed outfits and weapons. Any and all Amiibo can be used for some basic items, but if you use a Zelda themed Amiibo you’ll have the chance to revive the Zelda gear. No worries if you don’t have Zelda Amiibo, the Zelda gear can be found at the peak of the mountain located in the center of the map. So not only did we get Skyrim on the go, we also got Skyrim that allows us to cosplay as Link!
Getting totally immersed in the world of Skyrim is now easier with the use of VR. Skyrim VR is just Skyrim in VR, the whole game is playable and for the most part is the same as other ports, with a few changes. Skyrim VR actually has a new area that you will see when you boot up the game, this is just a small tutorial to get you familiar with the new controls and VR mechanics. It has two types of controls, you can simply use the controls you’re used to or use the more VR friendly teleport movement. This VR port did a few things to change the moment to moment gameplay too. For starters, camera movement is much easier as we use our heads and not the sticks. Our hands can now move freely and aren’t constantly in front of our camera. Finally combat is done with movement for a more immersive experience.
How is this thing real? “The Elder Scrolls V: Very Special Editon” is an audio only version of Skyrim for Amazon Alexa devices. This version started out as a joke, poking fun at how Skyrim is ported to just about everything. This joke quickly turned into reality with the Very Special Edition. While this version isn’t the full Skyrim experience, it is a nice little addition to the many ports of Skyrim. Very Special Edition is basically a voice adventure that has us completing quests and selecting the path we follow. The “game” has four actions: attack with a weapon, use magic, use shouts, and flee. Now only if we can get that version for smart fridges.
It’s crazy to think that Skyrim is over ten years old and this classic is still being played to this day. To celebrate the anniversary Bethesda released yet another port for players to get lost into. The 10th Anniversary Edition added a lot of great stuff for players to enjoy like the original DLC, all improvements from Special Edition, all past and new Creation Club items. This version added fishing, new quests, and a survival mode. The 10th Anniversary Edition took the game we love and packed to the brim with great content created by fans and new experiences for long-time veterans to make this version feel brand new.
Technically the 11th anniversary edition, but hey we’ll count it as 10th. Almost a year after the launch of the 10th Anniversary Edition, that amazing port finally made its way to the Switch. While this port doesn’t do anything different than the original 10th Anniversary Edition it’s worth pointing out that when the game launched, for some reason this version didn’t run well, it has since been remedied and is now in a playable state. This was the latest port for Skyrim and who knows, maybe it will be another to add to the pile. Skyrim is one of the most ported games and we keep buying it. Now Bethesda, give us Elder Scrolls 6!
“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” (2011)
11-11-11 - a date that will forever be remembered by gamers. Elder Scrolls has always been huge in scale, but Skyrim was the one that launched it into the mainstream and became the biggest in the series. Releasing for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3, the game hooked players with the deep role-playing mechanics and massive open world full of quest and depth. While gamers on PC and 360 were having a blast, gamers on PS3 were not so lucky. Sadly the PS3 version of Skyrim may just be the worst version to date. It suffered from performance issues, longer loading times, crashes, and your save file continuously getting larger. Even with this, the rough launch on the PS3 Skyrim still became a classic and the vanilla version of the game started the phenomena we know as Skyrim.
“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Legendary Edition” (2013)
The start of the ports, the Legendary Edition added some gameplay improvements and all previous DLC all in one package. At the time this was the version to play, you could travel the expansive open world and even take on the Vampire Lord Harkon, build your own home, and make your way to the coast of Morrowind thanks to the great DLC with Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Draonborn. The legendary Edition also added new combat features like new combat cameras and the mounted combat we saw in Dragonborn. If you played Skyrim for hundreds of hours like some of us, there was also a new difficulty mode which made the game harder for the hardcore fans, while also allowing you to master all perks and level up your skills with no cap.
“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Special Edition” (2016)
While the Legendary Edition was a glorified Game of the Year Edition, the Special Edition added some much requested features for console gamers. Special Edition was the first release for new hardware, the Xbox One and PS4, so of course this version took advantage. It looked spectacular with all the enhancements on the graphical side of things. We got remastered art and effects, dynamic depth of field, and new shaders for snow and water. This version was also the first to bring mods to consoles via the Creation Club. Finally console players were able to see what the mod community could do with new items, weapons, and armor all created by fans.
“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” Switch Port (2017)
At long last, Skyrim on the go! This Switch port was the game we love and know, just on a more portable console. While this version didn’t do much other than finally give Nintendo fans a way to play Skyrim, there were a few new features. The Switch port added motion support, which was actually a nice addition when it comes to using ranged attacks. The biggest addition had to be Amiibo support and the amazing Zelda themed outfits and weapons. Any and all Amiibo can be used for some basic items, but if you use a Zelda themed Amiibo you’ll have the chance to revive the Zelda gear. No worries if you don’t have Zelda Amiibo, the Zelda gear can be found at the peak of the mountain located in the center of the map. So not only did we get Skyrim on the go, we also got Skyrim that allows us to cosplay as Link!
“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR” (2017)
Getting totally immersed in the world of Skyrim is now easier with the use of VR. Skyrim VR is just Skyrim in VR, the whole game is playable and for the most part is the same as other ports, with a few changes. Skyrim VR actually has a new area that you will see when you boot up the game, this is just a small tutorial to get you familiar with the new controls and VR mechanics. It has two types of controls, you can simply use the controls you’re used to or use the more VR friendly teleport movement. This VR port did a few things to change the moment to moment gameplay too. For starters, camera movement is much easier as we use our heads and not the sticks. Our hands can now move freely and aren’t constantly in front of our camera. Finally combat is done with movement for a more immersive experience.
“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Very Special Edition” (2018)
How is this thing real? “The Elder Scrolls V: Very Special Editon” is an audio only version of Skyrim for Amazon Alexa devices. This version started out as a joke, poking fun at how Skyrim is ported to just about everything. This joke quickly turned into reality with the Very Special Edition. While this version isn’t the full Skyrim experience, it is a nice little addition to the many ports of Skyrim. Very Special Edition is basically a voice adventure that has us completing quests and selecting the path we follow. The “game” has four actions: attack with a weapon, use magic, use shouts, and flee. Now only if we can get that version for smart fridges.
“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 10th Anniversary Edition” (2021)
It’s crazy to think that Skyrim is over ten years old and this classic is still being played to this day. To celebrate the anniversary Bethesda released yet another port for players to get lost into. The 10th Anniversary Edition added a lot of great stuff for players to enjoy like the original DLC, all improvements from Special Edition, all past and new Creation Club items. This version added fishing, new quests, and a survival mode. The 10th Anniversary Edition took the game we love and packed to the brim with great content created by fans and new experiences for long-time veterans to make this version feel brand new.
“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 10th Anniversary Edition” (2022)
Technically the 11th anniversary edition, but hey we’ll count it as 10th. Almost a year after the launch of the 10th Anniversary Edition, that amazing port finally made its way to the Switch. While this port doesn’t do anything different than the original 10th Anniversary Edition it’s worth pointing out that when the game launched, for some reason this version didn’t run well, it has since been remedied and is now in a playable state. This was the latest port for Skyrim and who knows, maybe it will be another to add to the pile. Skyrim is one of the most ported games and we keep buying it. Now Bethesda, give us Elder Scrolls 6!
