Skyrim is a title that brings with it a massive presence due to its sizable loyal community and the longstanding impact that it has had on the wider gaming industry. Despite releasing over a decade ago in 2011, the title remains at the forefront of gaming discourse and is still subject to an unprecedented amount of attention when considering its age.
A huge part of this continued relevance for Skyrim undoubtedly stems from the many re-releases that the game has been subjected to over the years. With these re-releases either bringing the game to new consoles or possessing an array of perks and benefits, the Special Edition and Anniversary Edition of the game are perhaps two of the most notable re-releases of the title.
The Many Releases of Skyrim
As Skyrim still receives so much attention 12 years after its launch, the plethora of re-releases that the game has received over the years has become a kind of in-joke within the game's passionate community. Since its original launch on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, Skyrim has since received separate platform releases for subsequent console generations, including the Nintendo Switch, PSVR, and PC VR.
Many of these subsequent releases take the form of new editions of Skyrim, with the Anniversary Edition and Special Editions of the game being the most renowned. Of course, these two editions offer different perks and benefits to players, although the fast-paced turnaround of Skyrim releases may make it hard for fans to ascertain what is offered by each of these two editions.
Skyrim: Special Edition
Skyrim: Special Edition was the first of the two major editions to launch, originally releasing in 2016. The Special Edition of Skyrim has a clear focus on improving the graphical fidelity of the game, with a major impetus for the release being to bring the game to the Xbox One and PS4 generation of consoles.
The Special Edition is a remaster of the base game, featuring an improved game engine which overhauls the title's graphics in the way of introducing things like volumetric god rays and vastly improved reflections. Skyrim: Special Edition additionally comes with every main Skyrim expansion, while also allowing players across console and PC to explore and utilize the many mods of Skyrim.
Skyrim: Anniversary Edition
Skyrim: Anniversary Edition is a much more recent release, launching in 2021 for the tenth anniversary of the original title. The Anniversary Edition contains all the aforementioned content that is offered by the preceding Special Edition, but builds upon it in a way that honors the community and provides fans with a lot more content to enjoy.
This additional content comes in the form of the 74 included creations from Skyrim's Creation Club. The Creation Club is a Bethesda-backed microtransactional store for Skyrim which offers a huge array of downloadable content, with Bethesda often working hand in hand with community modders to produce said content. The 74 included creations encompass over 500 new individual elements to the game, including armor, locations, quests, and even game mechanics such as fishing.
Still possessing the remastered upgrades of the Special Edition and the mainline DLC for Skyrim, the Anniversary Edition for the title is by far the most expansive and holistic release that the title has received to date. With this being said, if a player simply wants to focus on the base-game content of Skyrim and its official expansions, then the Special Edition offers a more intimate and affordable experience.
The Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim: Special Edition is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.