How Many Times Do I Need To Buy Skyrim?

[ent|ty]

It's getting really confusing now, with all the editions and packs and such, can't keep them straight anymore.

[Rez Elwin]

There is only 2, the Original Game and Special Edition, the only confusing part is Anniversary Edition which people throw around using it wrong, it's just a DLC for SE.

If you want SE, it's on sale.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/489830/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim_Special_Edition/
AE too.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1746860/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim_Anniversary_Upgrade/

[R4ndomG4mer]

Originally posted by Rez Elwin:

There is only 2, the Original Game and Special Edition, the only confusing part is Anniversary Edition which people throw around using it wrong, it's just a DLC for SE.

If you want SE, it's on sale.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/489830/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim_Special_Edition/
AE too.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1746860/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim_Anniversary_Upgrade/

Well, to be fair, there was an actual anniversary edition of Skyrim that was released for consoles. That, combined with the anniversary update for special edition, followed by the release of the anniversary upgrade, confuses a lot of people.

[vee-kay]

God Todd wants your next few generations of descendants also to buy different versions of Skyrim on every gaming device they own.

That's why there's still no GOTY/Complete/Ultimate edition of Skyrim even almost 1.5 decades after the game launched.

And God Todd denies you the endless pleasure of using mods, because he's ensured dear Beth will suddenly release minor game updates (that add no new free content) that will break most of your fave mods.

The only way you can say no to this greediness and madnesss, is by forgoing Skyrim altogether. Or get the GoG version of Skyrim SE+AE, and disable all game updates, and enjoy the mods forever.

[Ihateeverybody]

I think a better question is what kind of Forebear wouldn't want Skyrim for their descendants?

[-={LG}=-]

I suspect you'll need to buy it one or two more times. I don't think selling it seven times is enough for Bethesda yet. Now that they've forgotten how to make good games reruns is all they have.

[Rez Elwin]

Originally posted by R4ndomG4mer:

Well, to be fair, there was an actual anniversary edition of Skyrim that was released for consoles. That, combined with the anniversary update for special edition, followed by the release of the anniversary upgrade, confuses a lot of people.

It's a bundle. just like the Legendary edition, it's still not another version of the game. The game is still SE.

[vee-kay]

Originally posted by Rez Elwin:

Originally posted by R4ndomG4mer:

Well, to be fair, there was an actual anniversary edition of Skyrim that was released for consoles. That, combined with the anniversary update for special edition, followed by the release of the anniversary upgrade, confuses a lot of people.

It's a bundle. just like the Legendary edition, it's still not another version of the game. The game is still SE.

Anniversary Upgrade is paid DLC for SE, that enables & adds CC (Creation Club) mods.
Game is still confusing sold on Steam and other stores, as Skyrim Special Edition (SE) and Skyrim Anniversary Edition (AE). AE officially includes SE too.

So it is wrong for people to say AE is same as SE. It's not. Even the game versions are different.

If anyone wants latest version of Skyrim, they should get the AE version.

It would be good if Bethesda stops selling SE separately, but they know millions of gamers own it, and Bethesda wants to sell them the Anniversary Upgrade DLC instead of giving it for free. And this is pure greed because AE's extra content is not even Bethesda-created content, but it's modding-community-created content that Bethesda merely adds on top of SE but wants to charge users for the privilege of being able to access those mods easily.

[smr1957]

As Rez posted, there is only Skyrim Special Edition - there is no game version called Anniversary Edition: that is just the name of the DLC or the marketing bundle of SSE and the AE DLC. The current version of SSE is 1.6.1170.

This gives a fuller explanation (and the issue is also covered in the PINNED TOPIC Helpful Links and References, Introduction section):
https://www.afkmods.com/index.php?/topic/5954-skyrim-anniversary-edition-and-you/

[vee-kay]

Originally posted by smr1957:

As Rez posted, there is only Skyrim Special Edition - there is no game version called Anniversary Edition: that is just the name of the DLC or the marketing bundle of SSE and the AE DLC. The current version of SSE is 1.6.1170.

This gives a fuller explanation (and the issue is also covered in the PINNED TOPIC Helpful Links and References, Introduction section):
https://www.afkmods.com/index.php?/topic/5954-skyrim-anniversary-edition-and-you/

No.

Bethesda is selling the AE as a bundle of SE+AnniversaryUpgrade.
Here's where one can buy it on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/sub/626153/

It is high time we modding community stop claiming that AE is "simply marketing" or "SE with CC".

AE is a different game version (current is build 2.2.6, game version 1.6.1170), SE is a different game version (current is build 2.0.20, game version 1.5.97). So they are NOT identical. Even the version on GoG is different: GOG Anniversary Edition build 2.2.6, game version 1.6.1179.

Current classic (Oldrim) build is 1.7.3. Current VR build 2.0.12, game version 1.4.15.

Mods that work with SE version may not work with AE (unless updated to be compatible with both), and vice versa. Most Oldrim mods need to be re-saved or fixed in Creation Kit to work with SE/AE.

AE is what Bethesda considers and sells as full bundle of Skyrim, but Bethesda is also greedily selling SE and Anniversary Upgrade separately, and that's what confuses newbies who want to try Skyrim after hearing about it for years.

Adding salt to the wound is that Bethesda has provided no new content by charging extra for the Anniversary Upgrade, it has merely given access to user-created mods, as Creation Club (CC). This is modding community keeps telling newbies that "no need to bother about AE, just buy SE", because most of the CC mods are available for free, as alternative mods on NexusMods site or elsewhere. But this advice keeps motivating Bethesda to keep selling SE separately,

[Rez Elwin]

I want you to take another look at that page and tell me there isn't a pink dlc tag on the Anniversary Edition. It's a DLC.

That said, the game is updated to .1170 no matter what, it doesn't matter if you buy the DLC or not. Only by choosing to not update by manually stopping it does you game remain at 1.5.97

Every update change the .exe, and that is what makes certain mods incompatible with versions, the AE doesn't affect that.

And yes, the CC mods are user created, but they were commissioned and paid for by Bethesda as exclusive content, nothing greedy about it. The modders who chose to make these creations were paid for their time.

[Mez Koo]

Literally just once, If you bought the original and its dlc back in the day then you got Special Edition for free and you don't need to buy the glorified mod pack which is the Anniversary Edition.

As of 2024 though if you only need Skyrim Special edition which includes all original content being the base game and 3 expansions, you do not need the Anniversary Edition.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/489830/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim_Special_Edition/

Ignore all the semantics being argued above, both SE and AE are the same game, AE is literally just a paid mod pack marketed as an "upgrade" that you really don't need and imo dilutes and ruins the original intended game. You can pick it up later after a vanilla play through.

[SpeedFreak1972]

AE is just the same as the Legendary edition which was Skyrim with all dlc .... that's it it's just a bundle with a different name

[TheMoonRover]

Skyrim: the original 2011 release. Hidden from search results but can still be purchased, along with its DLCs. Final version was 1.9.32.0.8

Skyrim Legendary Edition: bundle of the original 2011 release + all 3 DLCs (Dawnguard, Hearthfire, Dragonborn). Delisted.

Skyrim VR: a separate release for VR, includes the 3 main DLCs. Current version is 1.4.15

Skyrim Special Edition: 2016 remaster which includes the 3 main DLCs and 4 Creation Club content. That is where you are now. There is one DLC available for purchase: Skyrim Anniversary Upgrade, which gives you all 74 Creation Club content. Current version is 1.6.1170

Skyrim Anniversary Edition: bundle of Special Edition + Skyrim Anniversary Upgrade DLC.

[cachaca]

Well... I just learned a few things here. Thank you for all the posters.

So... VR requires a separate copy of Skyrim. That is some bullcrap.

I have the "anniversary edition" from Steam(it was on-sale for $19.99 a few years back), and an XBox 360 copy... if that mattered. I am sure some folks have multiple copies/versions of Skyrim they acquired over the years.

What a sad state of affairs for this company. Greed is evil.

[Fear2288]

I could never understand why people claim they’ve released this game a bazillion times and talk like the guy above.

The game has been released three times: the original 32-bit 2011 release, the 64-bit 2016 release, and the VR version.

If you wanna count every port, bundle, and GOTY edition as “re-releases”, then there’s a bunch of games and studios guilty of being “greedy” and “releasing the same game over and over”.