The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition screenshot 1The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition screenshot 2
RPGOpen WorldFantasyAdventureSingleplayerCharacter Customization

16,075 playing#68 on Steam by players#68 on Steam

Peak in the last 24 hours: 33,227

Peak in the last 7 days: 40,492

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition Steam store

Game description

Winner of more than 200 Game of the Year Awards, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition brings the epic fantasy to life in stunning detail. The Special Edition includes the critically acclaimed game and add-ons with all-new features.

Basic info

DeveloperBethesda Game Studios
PublisherBethesda Softworks
PlatformsWindows
Steam DeckVerified
Release dateOct 27, 2016
Price

Prices by IsThereAnyDeal

Minimum specs

OSWindows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit Version)
ProcessorIntel i5-750/AMD Phenom II X4-945
Memory8 GB
GraphicsNVIDIA GTX 470 1GB /AMD HD 7870 2GB
Storage12 GB
steamyze

Review Analysis Score

Based on 365 reviews from the past 1 year

91.0/ 100
Top 10%

Steam rating: Very Positive (92%)

Metacritic: 74 /100

Review analysis summary (Reviewed Oct 12, 2026)

81 reviews praise the open world of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, the most upvoted calling it the best even fifteen years on; it scores 91.0, top 10% of the games we analyzed.

👍 Strengths

Content Volume ranks 8th of 1351, and Gameplay ranks 17th of 1396. 93 reviews describe an addictive loop they keep returning to despite frustrations. Story & World ranks 62nd of 1096 and comes up in 53% of analyzed reviews, and 63 praise the freedom to ignore the main story and make your own. Players also credit modding with keeping it endlessly replayable.

👎 Where it falls short

Tech & Support ranks 1173rd of 1399. 52 reviews say bugs get annoying during play, and others point out bugs that have gone unfixed for years and paid add on content they resent. 25 find the combat dated and NPC animations stiff. Visuals & Sound ranks 662nd of 1249, with some complaints about stiff hit feedback. A few note that modding requires manual technical setup.

Representative reviews Original reviews ↗

“addictive gameplay loop keeps me returning despite frustrations” · 93 reviews
“best open-world RPG even 15 years after release” · 81 reviews
“you can ignore the main story and create your own stories” · 63 reviews

How it holds up

−50+5

Controls, difficulty, progression and depth
Mentioned in 62% of reviews · Top 5% of the games we've analyzed

Freedom +4.65 · Room to explore, build, and play your own way
Positive “you can ignore the main story and create your own stories” · 63 reviews

Progression 11% · Difficulty 5% · Onboarding 5% · Strategy 19% · Controls & feel 12%

Plot, characters and the world
Mentioned in 53% of reviews · Top 10% of the games we've analyzed

World +4.52 · Lore, atmosphere, and how immersive the setting is
Positive “best open-world RPG even 15 years after release” · 81 reviews

Story 24% · Characters 10%

How much there is to do, variety and replay value
Mentioned in 52% of reviews · Top 1% of the games we've analyzed

Volume +4.75 · How much there is to play, including endgame, for the price
Positive “can do everything in one playthrough, legendary” · 22 reviews
Negative “too extensive, felt compelled to complete everything obsessively” · 1 review

Variety 8% · Replayability 31%

Graphics, art style, music and sound
Mentioned in 32% of reviews · Bottom 50% of the games we've analyzed

Audio +4.19 · Music, sound effects, and voice acting
Positive “soundtrack is a masterpiece, unforgettable music” · 5 reviews

Visuals 22%

Playing with others, the community and servers

Not enough data — only 9% of reviews mention this.

Community +3.56 · Who you play with — how many, and how friendly

Playing together 1% · Servers & Connection 0%

Pricing, cheaters, balance and matchmaking
Mentioned in 8% of reviews · Bottom 50% of the games we've analyzed

Pricing -0.12 · Whether the price, DLC and microtransactions are reasonable, and how much paying gives you an edge
Negative “modders made the good game, devs charge money for inability” · 6 reviews

Anti-cheat 0% · Balance 2% · Matchmaking 0%

Bugs, performance and developer support
Mentioned in 29% of reviews · Bottom 20% of the games we've analyzed

Stability -0.55 · Crashes, freezes, save loss, and game-breaking bugs
Negative “bugs can get annoying during play” · 52 reviews

Performance 4% · Developer support 9%

Grey means too few reviews mention it to trust. — means almost no reviews mention it.

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