It has now been over 10 years since the release of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, and it’s fair to say the game is still as relevant now as it was all those years ago. Much of the game’s lasting relevance is down to the Elder Scrolls community for continuing to play the game and discuss it online, although The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has also received a number of new versions since. The latest of which, Skyrim Anniversary Edition, has just been released and has gained some attention online.
Gamers are talking about Skyrim Special Edition right now for a couple of reasons. The first of which is all the new content it has brought to the game, from fishing to classic Elder Scrolls questlines. However, gamers have also been talking about the price of Skyrim Anniversary Edition, remarking that it is quite expensive given that it is a new version of a now 10-year-old game. Its price is a hot topic for debate, though, and fans could really fall on either side.
What’s in Skyrim Anniversary Edition?
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is the next-gen upgraded version of the original game. The Anniversary Edition gets Skyrim to run at 4K 60 frames-per-second right out of the box for the first time on consoles, without the assistance of mods. This has been a long time coming for The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim fans, who have relied on mods to take their Skyrim experience to the next level to this point. While mods aren’t required to get Skyrim Anniversary Edition running to its full potential, they do feature heavily in the latest version of the game. Mods have, in fact, been one of the big selling points of the remaster, as 500 Creation Club mods come included within the game, which players would have previously had to pay for individually.
As is the case with Skyrim Special Edition, players who buy Skyrim Anniversary Edition will have access to all of the content available in the base version of the game, including the three DLCs. Hearthfire, Dawnguard, and Dragonborn include 30 hours of content altogether, so they’re worth playing for any Skyrim fans who haven’t at this point. In addition to these DLC packs, though, the Creation Club mods add a bunch of new content to explore, ranging from fishing to weapons and armor to full-on never before seen questlines. What has been particularly exciting for Elder Scrolls fans has been the Morrowind and Oblivion content added to Skyrim Anniversary Edition. These have been a treat for fans of the older Elder Scrolls games, or fans of Elder Scrolls lore in general, and have made the game worth upgrading all by themselves for some players.
Ways to Get Skyrim Anniversary Edition
All of this new content added to Skyrim Anniversary Edition does come at a price, though. Skyrim Anniversary Edition brings a lot of value to the table, in the form of its performance upgrades and new content, so this may not come as a shock to Elder Scrolls fans. At launch, the price of Skyrim Anniversary Edition is $49.99, which puts it below the price range of an average AAA game, which now usually come at closer to $70. This makes Skyrim Anniversary Edition good value for money for gamers who may have not yet played The Elder Scrolls 5, but for longtime Skyrim fans, such a price for a game they’ve already played may seem steep. The additions in the Anniversary Edition do add a lot of value, but possibly not $50 worth.
Fortunately, existing fans of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim may have a way to get Skyrim Anniversary Edition for cheaper than $49.99. Gamers who already own Skyrim Special Edition have the option to upgrade to Skyrim Anniversary Edition for $19.99 in a similar way to purchasing a DLC. This price may be a lot more appealing to gamers compared to the $49.99 price tag, and for gamers on Xbox or PC who don’t own Skyrim Special Edition, there is also a way to get in on the deals.
Surprisingly, Skyrim Anniversary Edition isn’t available on Game Pass, much to the disappointment of Xbox and PC Skyrim fans. However, there is a bit of a loophole to get Skyrim Anniversary Edition for closer to the upgrade price than the full retail price. This is because Skyrim Special Edition is still available on Game Pass, and, if claimed, can be upgraded to Skyrim Anniversary Edition for the $19.99 upgrade price. This is possible despite the player technically not owning the game, but it can be seen as one of the perks of subscribing to Game Pass despite Anniversary Edition not appearing on the service.
Is Skyrim Anniversary Edition Worth the Price?
The price of Skyrim Anniversary Edition has raised a fair few eyebrows since its reveal, though players who have been able to get through Skyrim Anniversary Edition’s black screen bug have been impressed by the volume of content included in the game. There are all-new player homes to enjoy in Skyrim Anniversary Edition, along with a ton of new weapons and armour. When considering all of this, it makes Skyrim Anniversary Edition a no-brainer at $49.99 for players who may have never played The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim before. The extra content in Skyrim Anniversary Edition compared to Skyrim Special Edition along with the performance boosts justifies the price gap.
For long-term Skyrim fans, it’s slightly more difficult to justify spending such a large sum of money. It is worth buying Skyrim Anniversary Edition for $49.99 considering the whole package of the game and add ons, but given that many will have played Skyrim before, $49.99 is a lot of money. Fortunately, for these players, the $19.99 upgrade method will likely be an option given the popularity of Skyrim Special Edition. So, in the case of existing Skyrim players, the question likely isn’t whether Skyrim Anniversary Edition is worth $49.99, but whether it is worth $19.99. Considering all of the additional content in Skyrim Anniversary Edition, the $19.99 price tag is worth it depending on the needs and wants of the player in question.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series S|X.
