The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Edition is a re-release of the open-world fantasy role-playing game The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Legendary Edition for next-generation consoles Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, as well as for PC.
The "Special Edition" includes numerous technical improvements and graphic enhancements but does not offer new content. It was released on PC, XOne, and PS4 on October 28, 2016, and on Switch on November 17, 2017.
The most significant changes were made to the visual part of the original The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, as the engine was upgraded to support 64-bit operations, DirectX 11 features, tessellation, and parallax occlusion. The changes are most noticeable in water, which realistically flows around obstacles instead of disappearing through shores and rocks. Additionally, the flow and speed of water in rivers and oceans vary in different places.
Volumetric rain, real-time volumetric global lighting using HBAO+ technology, and depth of perspective were introduced. Flickering of objects (rocks, trees, buildings) at long distances was eliminated, their loading was optimized, and the draw distance was increased.
Models now have reflections with colored and metallic sheen, making them look more realistic. Anti-aliasing is handled by the progressive TAA technology, completely removing "jaggies" on objects.
Developers introduced a new grass generation system that adds bushes, small rocks, and other barely noticeable objects, greatly enhancing visual quality and immersion in the game world. Roads are now adorned with mushrooms and flowers. There are also new effects like sun flares and calculations for snow movement based on wind direction.
- The mod limit has been removed, allowing more than 255 mods to be installed.
- The built-in mod editor has been improved, supporting old mods and offering new features.
- New quests and characters, animals and enemies, dialogues and descriptions, armor and weapons, and much more — with mods, there are no limits to what you can experience in the world of Skyrim. The edition includes all previously released game expansions.
- Mods can be installed not only for PC but also for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 through the built-in mod download center.
- The transition to DirectX 11 has taken model detailing to a new level without a global overhaul.
- The game utilizes all resources of the computer or console, loading more than 4 GB of RAM and video memory.
- The animation system received minor improvements, making models look less "wooden" than in Skyrim.
Features of the Switch version of Skyrim Special Edition:
- No support for mods and the mod download center;
- Reduced quality of character models, especially faces;
- Controls optimized for Joy-Con joysticks, no external controller required;
- The game runs in HD resolution, with reduced texture quality and draw distance of the game world;
- Отсутствуют наиболее ресурсоемкие эффекты, вроде расчета движения снега и скорости течения воды.