Skyrim's getting a re-release on Oct. 28, dubbed the Skyrim: Special Edition.
Bethesda first announced the remaster of the old game back in June during a press conference. The studio is overhauling the game to take advantage of current-gen gaming consoles, bringing remastered lighting and effects along with DLC to keep the game fresh.
Ahead of its launch, the studio has published a press release detailing the minimum requirements needed to run the game:
Minimum
• Operating system: 64-bit Windows 7/8.1/10
• CPU: Intel i5-750/AMD Phenom II X4-945
• Memory: 8 GB of RAM
• Storage: 12 GB
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 470 1 GB /AMD HD 7870 2 GB
Recommended
• Operating system: 64-bit Windows 7/8.1/10
• CPU: Intel i5-2400/AMD FX-8320
• Memory: 8 GB of RAM
• Storage: 12 GB
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 780 3 GB /AMD R9 290 4 GB
For those who intend to play Skyrim: Special Edition for either Xbox One or PlayStation 4, you need to have at least 20 GB (North America) and 33 GB (Europe) of storage for the PS4. For Xbox One players, prepare to have at least 17 GB (North America) and 25 GB (Europe) of free storage to install the game. The reason for Europe's larger size is the added language options inside the game.
The minimum and recommended requirements are significantly more demanding than those of the original game in 2011, but because of the remastered components of the game, it's simply logical for the special edition to need more horsepower to run smoothly. Gamers wouldn't want another Halo: Reach debacle.
Bethesda also detailed the specific overhauls that were coming to Skyrim: Special Edition. According to the publisher, the game will support mods on consoles, which is a major functionality for non-PC Skyrim players, given that mods are widely popular among the Skyrim community. Remastered art and effects, volumetric lighting, dynamic depth of field and other graphical touch-ups pepper the re-release, which comes as an admirable nod of the original game that spawned the "arrow to the knee" fanaticism, alongside a host of memes that added to the frenzy. The core game is intact, alongside three DLC packages, new quests, environments, equipment and more. So players both old and new have plenty to enjoy in the title.
In addition to all the features mentioned above, the special edition will also support 4K gameplay for the PlayStation 4 Pro, good news for those who are eyeing the console as its release date draws nearer. The PS4 Pro will hit shelves in November for $399, for those of you who want to play Skyrim: Special Edition on the beefed up flagship console.
Skyrim: Special Edition is the remastered and overhauled offspring of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. In the game, the player is tasked to defeat Alduin the World-Eater, a dragon prophesized to destroy the world.
Skyrim: Special Edition will hit shelves on Oct. 28 for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. It's available for physical preorder at retail stores, and digital preorder at PlayStation Store and Xbox Games Store for $59.99. For Steam users who already have the game, you can get Skyrim: Special Edition for free, given that you have already downloaded all available Skyrim DLC.
