Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim Xbox 360 Texture Problems

As many of you are no doubt well aware, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is now on sale. The hugely anticipated, sprawling adventure earned an enthusiastic review from Game Rant, and has (somehow) already been nominated for Game of the Year by Spike TV's Video Game Awards.

At the beginning of the week, Bethesda announced that Skyrim would require a day-one patch, bumping the game up to version 1.1 on its 11/11/11 release date. Now, just hours after the game finally landed on store shelves, a new technical snag has been discovered. Fortunately, the problem only affects the Xbox 360 version of the game, and preventing it is easier than causing it.

A post on the Bethesda Forums titled "Texture Scaling on 360" neatly summarizes the situation.

"Skyrim uses a lot of dynamic streaming systems, including textures. We’ve seen a few reports of certain textures temporarily scaling down on the Xbox 360, and not scaling back up. We have verified that this issue does not occur when playing off the disk and when the game is fully cached (not installed). Skyrim makes heavy use of the Xbox 360 caching system, and caches over the normal course of play while in menus or interiors. This cache can be wiped when other games are played or when the user manually removes it. We’re working on a solution in the next title update for those who have installed the game."

Simple enough -- don't install the game until the next title update hits. Granted, the game's load times are likely to be a bit longer when playing straight off the disc, but until the texture scaling issue is resolved, players don't have much choice. Besides, what's a little extra load time when the trade-off is a better looking game? And, hey, at least Skyrim players don't have to install a high-res texture pack to enjoy the game's intended visuals.

Fortunately, players should find plenty to keep them busy until the next title update (sure to be the first of many) finally arrives. For starters, Skyrim offers infinite quests, though players who can tear themselves away have a chance to win a custom Skyrim Xbox 360. While we're at it, a rousing round of the "Song of Skyrim" is always good for the soul.

Ranters, what do you think of your first hours in Skyrim? Have you encountered the texture scaling issues? Let us know in the comments below.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is available now for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

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Source: Bethesda Softworks Forums