Skyrim's many, many console releases are a well-worn joke at this point, but just how many times has Bethesda gone to this particular well?

Skyrim Cart Man Controllers

Chances are, any fan of RPGs and open world games has played at least one version of Skyrim since its release in 2011. Bethesda's epic Elder Scrolls adventure was a smashing success at launch and continues to attract countless players a decade later. Part of that success is due to simply how many versions of Skyrim have come out over the years. Bethesda knows how successful Skyrim is, and they've taken advantage of that with rereleases on every conceivable platform. While it may be a joke in some circles, the repeated upgrades go on to make big bucks for the developer, and that means that players will continue to see the game's familiar dragon logo on store shelves.

There have been three main versions of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, each with a unique list of supported platforms. The base game experience saw release on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 in 2011, with players having the option to expand their experience with the Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonfire expansions. This version would also come out for Nintendo Switch in 2017, including a playable Link and a few other Nintendo-exclusive bonuses. Nintendo players also got all the DLC added in for free alongside their initial purchase, matching it with the Special Edition release on other consoles.

Bethesda moved on to other projects initially in April 2013 but returned to Skyrim for a remastered Special Edition in October 2016. This version, which included all the official expansions, was released as a free upgrade for PC owners alongside a standard release on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. This included further upgrades for owners of Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro, which may add two more consoles to the overall count depending on whether the half-step upgrades from the last generation count as fully-fledged platforms in their own right. The Special Edition also brought mods to living rooms everywhere via the Creation Club, further expanding the game and setting the stage for Bethesda's third Skyrim release.

How Many Consoles Will Skyrim's Anniversary Edition Release On?

Skyrim Is Getting Another Re-Release

The newly announced Skyrim Anniversary Edition is yet another upgrade for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 owners. It's also a new release for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, bringing the game into beautiful 4K in the living room. The game not only bundles in the now-expected DLC expansions but also 500 elements from the game's Creation Club. In effect, this makes a good chunk of the community content that has kept the game alive all these years into official DLC, which must be great news for mod creators everywhere.

This should be the end of the line when it comes to Skyrim releases, but there are a few other versions of the game to consider when chronicling every time Bethesda has returned to the Throat of the World. Any owners of VR headsets will be pleased to hear that Bethesda has ported Skyrim to just about all of them. After releasing Skyrim on PlayStation VR to much fanfare in 2017, there was a PC release of the experience that supports HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality. There is also an audio-only version of the game that's playable on Amazon's Alexa platform, although this Very Special Edition is mostly a joke tying into the endless releases of Skyrim on new consoles as the years go on.

How Many Versions Of Skyrim Are Out There?

The Elder Scrolls Skyrim dragon fight

Overall, if all possible versions of the main game are included, Bethesda has technically released The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim fifteen times on ten different systems.

  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Xbox 360)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PlayStation 3)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Nintendo Switch)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition (PC free upgrade)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition (Xbox One)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition (PlayStation 4)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition (PC Upgrade)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition (Xbox One)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition (PlayStation 4)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition (Xbox Series X/S)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition (PS5)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR (PSVR)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR (PC VR)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Alexa)

It's a feat that the company probably won't duplicate with any other major release going forward. Now that the house of Skyrim is under the Microsoft umbrella, it's possible that the next Elder Scrolls adventure will appear solely on PC and Xbox, although nothing is set in stone. Still, until that game finally sees release, it's entirely possible that Bethesda could squeeze out one or two more ports of Skyrim for consoles like the Atari VCS, the Intellivision Amico, or even something made by Soulja Boy. If any company could make it happen, it's Bethesda.

Next: Another Skyrim Rerelease Isn't Promising For Elder Scrolls 6