The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim Special Edition: 5 Things You Need to Know

The Skyrim Special Edition is set to release this October.
Step into the shoes of the legendary Dragonborn and revisit the Norse-inspired realm of Skyrim one more time.


Bethesda announced the release of the "Skyrim Special Edition" during this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo.

During this year’s E3 press conference Bethesda announced the remastered version of Skyrim called The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition which is on its way this fall. Here we will summarize the 5 most important things to know regarding the Skyrim Remaster as the release date draws near:

1. The Special Edition will include the main game and all of the expansions including Dawnguard, Hearthfire and Dragonborn.

Dawnguard, Skyrim’s very first expansion pack, added a whole new questline where players had the ability to choose between joining the clandestine coven of the Vampires Lords or the choice to hunt them down alongside the commendable Dawnguard organization. The DLC featured new side quests, weapons, armour and skill trees.

Hearthfire, an atypical addition to the game as it allowed the Dragonborn to settle down, build their own home and even adopt a child with their preferred spouse which is reminiscent of the base building technique in Fallout 4.

Dragonborn, the third and most praised expansion of the three. It followed the player into the island of Solstheim on a whole new questline which featured the choice to tame and ride dragons, new weapons, copious quests and Dragon Shouts.

The breezy, northern land of Skyrim.

As the Dragonborn, explore the wind-swept, wolf-haunted areas of Skyrim which harbor many lethal enemies.

2. For the first time ever, PS4 and Xbox One players will be able to download free mods to Skyrim.

Following the recent launch of mods on Fallout 4 which allowed players to customize their story, graphical improvements and refined sound effects, players should expect a similar treat with The Skyrim Special Edition upon release. Mods will be accessible via an in-game menu option, however, the Xbox One and Playstation 4 have their limitations. Fans have been sorely disappointed following the recent announcement by Bethesda last week about the lack of mod support for the PS4, yet, the company assured fans that the team is looking for other ways to integrate mods into the PS4. 

Skyrim’s lush, southern scenery.

Traverse the lush, flower-strewn scenery in the southern part of the province.

3. The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim Special Edition is free for PC Steam users who own the base game and all its add-ons.

Bethesda has announced that The Skyrim Special Edition is free if you own Skyrim and all three expansion packs. It will be added to a separate Steam library, so fans who don’t want it can continue playing the original game. This offer is exclusive to PC users only which has led to criticism from Xbox 360 and PS3 fans who will be charged 60$ for the special edition on PS4 and Xbox One.

4. The Skyrim Special Edition comes with remastered art and visual effects.

According to Bethesda’s Todd Howard, the special edition brings some new high resolution textures, lush environments, volumetric god rays, screen space reflections and shading for water and snow. Bethesda has yet to announce the system requirements for the PC version.

The Dragonborn comes face-to-face with a variety of lethal enemies.

The Spriggan, a common inhabitant in the heavily-forested areas of Skyrim.

5. Possible PC save file transfer from the original game.

Some fans have expressed worry regarding save file transfer to the special edition upgrade. Bethesda has assured fans that PC save files can be transferred to the special edition, but the obstacle mainly lies with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as these consoles differ in platform to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Nonetheless, thanks to the backwards compatibility support for Xbox One, save file transfer from Xbox 360 may be possible.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition will come at a full price of 60$ and is set to release on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 28th.

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Gamer Since: 2000
Favorite Genre: RPG
Currently Playing: StarCraft, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Top 3 Favorite Games:Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Dishonored, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind