The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

This page is for the original release. For the Special Edition, see The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition. For the VR version, see The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Developers
	Bethesda Game Studios
Publishers
	Bethesda Softworks
Engines
	Creation Engine
Release dates
Windows	November 11, 2011
Reception
Metacritic	94
IGDB	96
Taxonomy
Monetization	One-time game purchase, DLC
Microtransactions	None
Modes	Singleplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	First-person, Third-person
Controls	Direct control
Genres	ARPG, Open world
Art styles	Realistic
Themes	Fantasy
Series	The Elder Scrolls

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a singleplayer first-person and third-person ARPG and open world game in the The Elder Scrolls series.

Key points

A wide array of bugs have been fixed through the community patches. See Unofficial patches.

Active modding community, more mods can be found here

General information

Official manual

Official forums

Steam Community Discussions

GeForce Tweak Guide

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail
Steam
Amazon.com (unavailable)		Legendary Edition also available. Also available in The Elder Scrolls Anthology.
GamersGate (unavailable)		Legendary Edition also available.
(unavailable)		Legendary Edition also available.
Green Man Gaming (unavailable)		Legendary Edition also available.
Humble Store (unavailable)		Legendary Edition also available.

All versions require Steam DRM.

Owners of Skyrim and all DLC received The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition for free (limited time offer, ended on release date of Special Edition).

Version differences

The Elder Scrolls Anthology includes Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim along with all the main expansions and DLC.

The Legendary Edition is a complete edition of Skyrim with all its DLC.

Monetization

Type	Notes
DLC	Additional game content.
One-time game purchase	The game requires an upfront purchase to access.

Microtransactions

Type	Notes
No microtransactions	Game does not contain microtransactions.

DLC and expansion packs

Name	Notes
High Resolution Texture Pack	Available for free.
Dawnguard
Hearthfire
Dragonborn

Essential improvements

Skip intro videos

Modify configuration file
Go to the configuration file(s) location. Open Skyrim.ini. Go to the [General] section. Add the following line sIntroSequence=. Save your changes.

Go to <path-to-game>\Data\Video and delete BGS_Logo.bik

Enabling data files

Modify configuration file
Go to the configuration file(s) location. Open SkyrimPrefs.ini. Go to the [Launcher] section. Add the following line bEnableFileSelection=1. Save your changes.

Modifications

Before installing any mods, SKSE and either Vortex or Mod Organizer should be installed.

Unofficial patches

Community-created patches which fix many issues which otherwise remain unresolved in the official patches, such as rendering issues and subtitle coding errors.

Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch.

Mod Organizer

Powerful and easy to use mod manager with mod virtualization, in order to keep the installation folder clean.

Features a configuration editor, the SKSE executable can also be set to be launched through the configurator.

SkyUI

SkyUI is required by certain mods in order to tweak and configure them.

Advanced user interface, optimized for keyboard and mouse usage while being highly customizable.

Corrupted NIFs Patches - CNP

Replaces NIF files in the official game files and mods for a CTD-Free game.

Greatly reduces the amount of CTD to occur during in-game.

Crash Fixes

Requires SKSE.

Fixes some of the crashes in Skyrim.

Bug fixes

Requires SKSE.

Fixes some engine related bugs in game.

PerformanceHitRelief Remastered - PHR_RE

Removes grass, trees, clouds, fog and many more to keep a stable game.

Greatly improves FPS performance.

Also reduces visuals to the point the game looks unrealistic.

A Comprehensive and Helpful Guide To Increase Skyrim's Performance - FPS and Stability

Tweaks every aspect of the game to achieve maximum stability and FPS performance.

Greatly improves stability as well as FPS performance.

Depending on choice, no affect on visual whatsoever.

SKSE

Available as a Steam-based mod for ease-of-use.

Required by some mods.

SKSE on Linux Through Proton

If you are running Skyrim through proton and have mods installed which required SKSE, you can do the following. Installing Mods Mods can be installed either through steam's workshop, Nexus Mod Manager, or manually. Remember to run Skyrim before the steps below (Running SKSE) to allow your mods to populate. Remember to enable the mods you want Running SKSE Install SKSE through Steam Browse to <path-to-game> Rename SkyrimLauncher.exe to SkyrimLauncher.exe.bak Rename skse_loader.exe to SkyrimLauncher.exe Run Skyrim through Proton. Notes Remember to fix the FPS using the Proton launch command. To reorganise mods, restore the original launcher.

Save bloating cleaner[citation needed]
This is a partial fix for loose scripts, more advanced editing is required in order to remove broken scripts which may be stuck on the game's currently used thread. Go to <path-to-game>\data\SKSE Open SKSE.ini. Add ClearInvalidRegistrations=1 under the [General] section.

Memory Management Fix[citation needed]

This fixes crashes and infinite loading screens that occur when the game engine fails to allocate more memory than the engine was originally intended to due to modding. Only works with SKSE 1.7 or newer. Go to <path-to-game>\data\SKSE. Open SKSE.ini. Add the following lines under the [Memory] section. DefaultHeapInitialAllocMB=768 ScrapHeapSizeMB=256 Notes To figure out if you need the extra memory you can use the SKSE plugin Memory Blocks Log. This can reduce performance and should only be used while testing.

ENB

Use the installation instructions from the preset if used.

Fixes issue when there is no more available video memory, a problem that occurs when using high resolution texture mods.

Allows for significant graphical improvements, such as real-time reflections, image-based lighting, and volumetric sky rendering.

Can force V-sync, frame limiter, and Borderless-Windowed mode.

Installing ENB Without graphical improvements[citation needed]

Download the version of the ENB for Skyrim. Unzip files and transfer all files inside "WrapperVersion" to the installation folder. Open enblocal.ini with Notepad and use the enblocal.ini Setup Guide to assist with the settings. Make sure "UsePatchSpeedhackWithoutGraphics" and "SpeedHack" is set to "True". Notes You have to start the game with enbhost.exe if SKSE is not installed. Only install weather helper mod if preset requires it.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Skyrim\
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/72850/pfx/

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Skyrim\Saves\
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/72850/pfx/

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
OneDrive		Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.
Steam Cloud		Stores up to 200 MB of game saves online (maximum 1000 files).

Video

Launcher video settings.

Launcher advanced video settings.

In-game display settings.

Graphics feature	State	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor			Use Flawless Widescreen or Widescreen Fixer.
Ultra-widescreen			Set in SkyrimPrefs.ini.[citation needed]
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)		See Field of view (FOV)
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed		Use OneTweak.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)		See Anisotropic filtering (AF).
Anti-aliasing (AA)		FXAA, MSAA. SGSSAA can be utilized through anti-aliasing compatibility bits 0x000002C1 under Nvidia Inspector.
Vertical sync (Vsync)		See Vertical sync (Vsync) to disable.
60 FPS
120+ FPS		Havok physics do not function correctly past 60 FPS without first editing a configuration file. See Frame rate (FPS).
High dynamic range display (HDR)		See the glossary page for potential alternatives.

Field of view (FOV)

Modify configuration file
Go to the configuration file(s) location. Open Skyrim.ini. Add the following lines under the [Display] section: fDefault1stPersonFOV=X fDefaultWorldFOV=X Replace X with your preferred FOV.

Console command
Open the console ingame (~) and type in the following: fov X. Replace X with your preferred FOV. Notes This is not permanent, the FOV will reset after restarting the game.

Anisotropic filtering (AF)

Enable improved AF for Nvidia graphics cards
Open Nvidia Control Panel. Select Manage 3D settings. Select Program Settings tab. Under 1. Select a program to customize: select Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Under Anisotropic filtering select your quality of preference. Click Apply and close Nvidia Control Panel. Open Skyrim Launcher and select OPTIONS. Under Anisotropic Filtering, in Skyrim Launcher, select Off (best performance) then click OK.

Vertical sync (Vsync)

Modify configuration file
Go to the configuration file(s) location. Open SkyrimPrefs.ini. Change iPresentInterval=1 to iPresentInterval=0 to disable Vsync.

Fast Sync tweak

Instructions[citation needed]

See Vertical sync (Vsync) to disable Vsync. Enable Fast-Sync through the Nvidia CP for TES V: Skyrim (Nvidia Drivers 368.22 and later). Limit or cap the frame rate with Nvidia Profile Inspector to 60 FPS. Notes This reduce "input lag" as well as eliminates the screen tearing that would occur when playing with v-sync normally off. This is only suitable for certain PC configurations: ie. 60 Hz monitor with a high-end GPU which is able to render TES V: Skyrim over 60 FPS constantly.

Frame rate (FPS)

Nvidia have added a FPS cap fail-safe to the game. Use Nvidia Profile Inspector to disable FPS cap.

These tweaks allow playing the game at high frame rates without the known physics problems that occur. It is possible this fix will negatively affect scripts and cause unforeseen issues. Use at your own risk.

Automatically fix high FPS physics
This method has the advantage of preventing FPS drops caused by the game not being able to achieve the target FPS. Install SKSE. Install the SKSE Havok Fix mod. Notes The plugin will automatically edit iPresentInterval to an appropriate value for the current FPS.

Manually fix high FPS physics
Go to the configuration file(s) location. Open Skyrim.ini. Under section [Display] add line iPresentInterval=0 Add the section [HAVOK] and under it add line fMaxTime=(1 / Desired refresh rate) to correct the physics, e.g. for a 144 Hz monitor you would add fMaxTime=0.0069. Notes Skyrim must still be limited to the new refresh rate in order to avoid glitches

Set Refresh rate on 60hz[citation needed]

Linux Notes for FPS Limiting through Proton

You can limit the fps by entering DXVK_FRAME_RATE=60 %command% into steam's launch options. Once Again this will fix weird physics and rendering issues

Input

In-game gameplay settings.

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping		The Favorites system may not work if you remap keys related to it.
Mouse acceleration		The bMouseAcceleration= setting in SkyrimPrefs.ini has no effect.
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Full controller support		Certain input fields require a keyboard.
Controller remapping
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion

Controller types

XInput-compatible controllers

PlayStation controllers

Generic/other controllers

Additional information
Button prompts		For DualShock use the SkyUI-PS3Buttons Mod
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M		Use Controller and keyboard simultaneously mod to make keyboard and gamepad work, no support for mouse.

Audio

In-game audio settings.

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls		Master, sound effects, footsteps, voices and music.
Surround sound		Up to 5.1 only.
Subtitles		Dialogue and general sounds.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost		On by default, see Mute on focus lost to disable.
EAX support		Use X3DAudio HRTF. Requires 24000Hz .mhr file to prevent sounds playing at full volume at any distance, or possible crashes.
Royalty free audio

Mute on focus lost

Modify configuration file
Go to the configuration file(s) location. Open Skyrim.ini. Under [General] add the following line bAlwaysActive=1. Save your changes.

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
Simplified Chinese				Fan translation by plural team: «JIANJIA(蒹葭) team» «Taking arrows in the knee(膝盖中箭) team» «University team» «WOK studios»
Traditional Chinese				Offical Traditional Chinese version lags behind the international version, cannot use some Mods.
Traditional Chinese				Unoffical Traditional Chinese version by «University team»,link this,official traditional Chinese version is based on this version
Czech
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Polish
Brazilian Portuguese				Fan translation, download. Audio and voice: AI dubbed, Nexus Mods (though it was meant for Special Edition, it works on original game).
Russian
Spanish				Improved fan translation by Clan Dlan, download.
Turkish				Vanilla and Hearthfire. A translation is available here.

VR support

3D modes	State	Notes
Nvidia 3D Vision
vorpX		G3D, Z3D, DirectVR Officially supported Game. Excellent 3D in all Modes.

Devices
Novint Falcon

Issues fixed

Ambient Occlusion Bleeding on Nvidia graphics cards

The official Ambient Occlusion flag 0x00000029 has bleeding issues.

Use Ambient Occlusion flag 0x00000032 instead
Download and run Nvidia Profile Inspector. Under Profiles select Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Under Ambient Occlusion compatibility insert the flag 0x00000032. Under Ambient Occlusion usage select Enabled. Under Ambient Occlusion setting select your quality of preference, but in order to use HBAO+ you must use Quality or High Quality. Click Apply changes.

Blurry text

Instructions[citation needed]
Open the AMD Control Center. Add TESV.exe, and disable the Morphological Filtering. Notes If AMD complains about an existing profile the error can be safely ignored.

Stuttering on a laptop

This fix only applies to laptops running on Windows 7.

Changing the maximum processor state[citation needed]
Open the Start menu and write Edit Plan then push ↵ Enter. Open Change advanced power settings, then go to Processor power management, Maximum processor state and set the value to 90%.

Quiet audio

Skyrim has multiple issues with Realtek HD boards.

Change the Realtek HD Audio settings
Open the Control Panel, Hardware and Sound then open Realtek HD Audio Manager. Under Speakers, change the speaker configuration 5.1 Speakers. Untick everything but the Front left and right checkbox.

Enable loudness equalization
Push ⊞ Win+R and write mmsys.cpl then push ↵ Enter. Open the Default Device and navigate to the Enhancements tab, then enable the Loudness Equalization. Notes The sound quality will be drastically reduced (makes it harder to pinpoint the location of sounds).

Crash on startup

Instructions[citation needed]

Crash on startup (before the logo is displayed) is a sign of missing master file, one of your active mods is missing a mod it depends on, Wrye Bash will display which mod is missing what mod. Go to the configuration file(s) location. Delete or rename SkyrimPrefs.ini. Disable all or any recently installed mods. Notes If the game crashed with the following error message - Application Load Error P:0000065432 - then simply restart Steam.

Slowdown and stutter in cities

Disabling the official high resolution texture pack[citation needed]
Open the Skyrim Launcher, and open Data Files. Uncheck any entries related to the high resolution pack.

Allow pressing Alt+F4 to close the game

Use Elys Alt+F4 Tweak[citation needed]
Notes Not needed by anyone using ENB or ENBoost, as per the STEP modification guide. Installing both Elys Alt+F4 and ENB at the same time may cause issues with the hotkeys they are supposed to enable.

Double cursor after Alt+Tab

Use Double cursor fix[citation needed]

Use OneTweak[citation needed]

Mouse not responding

After playing Watch Dogs the mouse may become unresponsive.

Close the game and restart the computer

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	9.0c

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Physics	Havok	Physics are tied to frame rate. Going over 60 FPS will cause physics issues unless config files are edited.
Interface	Scaleform	3.3.92
Cutscenes	Bink Video	1.99f

Enabling shadows to be cast from trees and rocks

Instructions
Go to the configuration file(s) location. Open SkyrimPrefs.ini. Find the following lines, and set them to these values. [Display] bTreesReceiveShadows=1 bDrawLandShadows=1 This SHOULD cause little to no performance loss.

Continue rendering in the background

Set always active
Go to the configuration file(s) location. Open Skyrim.ini. Add bAlwaysActive=1 under the [General] section. Save and close the file.

Skyrim Configurator

Allows the game to be fully tweaked.

Certain tweaks are unstable and may break the game.

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	XP, Vista, 7	Vista, 7
Processor (CPU)	Dual Core 2.0 GHz	Quad Core Intel or AMD
System memory (RAM)	2 GB	4 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	6 GB	8 GB
Video card (GPU)	512 MB of VRAM DirectX 9.0c compatible	AMD Radeon 4890 Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 1 GB of VRAM