Bethesda Reveals PC Requirements for Skyrim

News
By Kevin Parrish
published

Bethesda has released the recommended and minimum system requirements for the PC version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Tuesday Bethesda released the minimum and recommended system requirements for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, revealed just over two weeks away from the game's retail release. Bethesda's VP for PR and Marketing Pete Hines also added via Twitter that the minimum specs will "get you playing" without going into any additional details.

"The recommended specs let you play on High, not on Ultra," he said. "You'll want a beefier rig for that." He later said that Bethesda doesn't plan on releasing a spec list for the "Ultra" setting.

To meet the recommended PC specification, you'll need the following:

  • Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
  • Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
  • 4 GB System RAM
  • 6 GB free HDD space
  • DirectX 9 compatible NVIDIA or AMD ATI video card with 1GB of RAM (Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 or higher; ATI Radeon 4890 or higher).
  • DirectX compatible sound card
  • Internet access for Steam activation

And here's the minimum requirements to get the game up and running:

  • Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
  • Processor: Dual Core 2.0 GHz or equivalent processor
  • 2 GB System RAM
  • 6 GB free HDD Space
  • Direct X 9 compliant video card with 512 MB of RAM
  • DirectX compatible sound card
  • Internet access for Steam activation

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is slated to hit retail and virtual shelves on November 11, 2011 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and windows PC.

Kevin Parrish
97 Comments Comment from the forums
  • bennaye
    Looks like I'm good to go come 11/11/11
    Reply
  • demonhorde665
    those reccomends just for high setting ... i hope bethesda is shitting us
    seriously this game is running on xbox 360 they better not lazily handle teh code for this like oblivion did makign it require far more ahrdware than what a game of it's looks would normally require ( Oblivion stil stutters and lags on my current system and has frame drops down to 18 fps in places , while Fall out new vegas a game that uses that same engine , runs at 37-69 fps)

    if my current system has issues runing on high i'm gonna be taking a big crap on thier turd job of engine optimazation ., I so tired of playing myself bored of thier games long before i get a system that can actually run them as was the case with oblivion

    it's almsot enough to push me back to consoles for beth games.. if it wasn't for the mod community
    Reply
  • Swolern
    GTX 260 needed for high??
    Man Im so looking forward to this game, but Bethesda has lost my trust in them after the Rage fail and screwing PC owners over with no grease! Will this be another console port? Many people that put a lot of money into their PC don't accept crap like that, especially from Bethesda......
    Reply
  • notsleep
    here's hoping this doesn't end up like the rage pc release fiasco....
    Reply
  • Swolern
    Why can't they learn from Battlefield 3, their pre-order was 3 million copies! To make a great looking game for weaker consoles is grea,t but spend the time and effort to take advantages of stronger PC systems also. Idiots! Their design management team should all be fired.
    Reply
  • dormantreign
    260gtx? this a joke?...if it ain't ill be tearing this a new one when i review it. - likesanddislikesshow
    Reply
  • iam2thecrowe
    dormantreign260gtx? this a joke?...if it ain't ill be tearing this a new one when i review it. - likesanddislikesshowwhat are you saying? that it should require a gtx580 to play it so only 5% of people can play it? Its probably going to be a polished game unlike some recent releases......
    Reply
  • s997863
    If this runs ok on the same consoles as Oblivion, then PC requirements higher than Oblivion are unacceptable. Developer is simply incompetent BS.

    Another key requirement for PC should be: "desperation and a taste for mediocrity"

    Not buying. Not even pirating. It looks nearly the same as Oblivion except SLIGHTLY higher graphics, and we had sooo much fun with Oblivion's broken game balance where the easiest way to beat the game was to NEVER LEVEL UP, or other amusing scenes like building up your stealth skills by having your naked player crouch-toggled and crawling nonstop into a pillar behind a guard on the freezing Blades mountain base overnight with a weight pressed on the W-key on your keyboard as you slept, went for work ... ;P
    Reply
  • stereopsis
    I wonder whether it will be as good as Morrowind or as bad as Oblivion.
    Reply
  • bennaye
    "Stop right there, criminal scum!"

    Oblivion wasn't that bad. Mods made it *much* better, though. Just hoping the bugs in Skyrim won't be so numerous.

    Reply