NOTICE: Activation key must be used on a valid Steam account. Requires internet connection.

When The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim hit consoles and PCs in 2011, it was released to tremendous critical acclaim. The huge density of things to do, the gorgeously detailed and atmospheric world, and the highly streamlined combat all represented marked improvements over previous entries in the series, while changes to skills and the character progression system were viewed favorably.

Skyrim brings players to the mountainous titular province of Skyrim, home of the Nords, where in true Elder Scrolls fashion, they portrayed a prisoner without much memory of their past. The player is quickly plunged into a civil war between the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloaks, as well as the return of the dragons of old, led by the ancient dragon Alduin.

Players could choose to access this storyline and complete it right from the get-go, or immediately set off on their own into the massive world of Skyrim, encountering new factions, quests, and a broad cast of characters in a truly living, breathing world.

Skyrim was followed up with three pieces of DLC. In Dawnguard, the player is caught up in a war between the vampire hunters of the Dawnguard, and the Clan Volkihar family of vampires, and must choose a side to back. In Hearthfire, players could purchase land and build their own homes, and even adopt children. In Dragonborn, players are pit against the first Dragonborn, Miraak, and brings them to a brand-new open world map of Solstheim.

In 2016, the iconic open world RPG got a major visual and under-the-hood makeover with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition.

System requirements

Windows Minimum:

OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)



Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit) Processor: Dual Core 2.0GHz or equivalent processor



Dual Core 2.0GHz or equivalent processor Memory: 2GB System RAM



2GB System RAM Hard Disk Space: 6GB free HDD Space



6GB free HDD Space Video Card: Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 512 MB of RAM



Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 512 MB of RAM Sound: DirectX compatible sound card

Recommended:

Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU



Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU Memory: 4GB System RAM



4GB System RAM Video Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible NVIDIA or AMD ATI video card with 1GB of RAM (Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 or higher; ATI Radeon 4890 or higher)



Skyrim Special Edition contained numerous graphical enhancements, such as screen-space reflections and volumetric lighting, which brought the game into the visual fidelity standards of 2016. It also added 64-bit support on Windows.