Skyrim Special Edition PC Requirements Are Much More Demanding

Skyrim Special Edition PC Requirements Are Much More Demanding

The remastered version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has gone gold in advance of its October 28 release, and Bethesda has released the recommended PC specs for running the prettier version of the 2011 RPG.

As anyone who’s played around with mods for Skyrim on PC knows, the set of requirements for the 2011 release were fine for running the vanilla version of the game, but beefing up the graphics required a meatier machine. The same goes for the remastered Special Edition dropping later this month.

Here are Skyrim’s original minimum specs from 2011:

  • Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
  • Processor: Dual Core 2.0GHz or equivalent processor
  • 2GB System RAM
  • 6GB free HDD Space
  • Direct X 9 compliant video card with 512 MB of RAM

And here are the minimum specs for the Special Edition, via Bethesda:

  • Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit Version)
  • Intel i5-750/AMD Phenom II X4-945.
  • 8GB of ram.
  • 12GB free HDD space
  • NVIDIA GTX 470 1GB /AMD HD 7870 2GB

While modest by today’s standards, the minimum spec has jumped quite a bit, quadrupling the required RAM, doubling hard drive space and bumping up the CPU requirement. And the minimum video cards have names now!

The recommended specs have taken quite a jump as well. Here’s 2011:

  • Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
  • Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
  • 4GB System RAM
  • 6GB free HDD space
  • DirectX 9 compatible NVIDIA or AMD ATI video card with 1GB of RAM (Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 or higher; ATI Radeon 4890 or higher).

And here’s the Special Edition:

  • Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit Version)
  • Intel i5-2400/AMD FX-8320.
  • 8GB of ram.
  • 12GB free HDD space
  • NVIDIA GTX 780 3GB /AMD R9 290 4GB

When the required specs for the new edition represent less PC power than the recommended specs of the previous, you know you’re in for some next-level, remastered, volumetric god ray-having adventuring goodness.

The Skyrim Special Edition launches for PS4, Xbox One and PC on October 28. PC players who own the original game and all DLC will get the remastered edition for free.


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