Skyrim: Here Is How To Check Your Version of the Game

Navigating through various versions and editions of Skyrim can get confusing, as the differences are not all that obvious if you’re just starting the game and you really don’t know what to look for. If you plan on modding the game, knowing what version of Skyrim you have is crucial since not all mods are compatible to run on Skyrim: Legendary Edition or Skyrim: Special Edition. Having said that, if you’re in doubt, let’s see how to check your current version of Skyrim. 

Why are different Skyrim versions important? 

As you know over the years numerous versions of Skyrim have been released. As you know there is an old Skyrim released in 2011 dubbed “Oldrim”, there is a remastered version of Skyrim released in 2016, and the most recent version called Skyrim Anniversary Edition released in 2021 which simply bundles all DLCs and some creation club packs with Special Edition game. 

Knowing the version of the game you’re currently running is vital because of the mod support and in the context of knowing what kind of content you have access to. 

For example, the most drastic difference is between Oldrim and Skyrim: Special Edition due to major technical overhauls made to the game. Due to that, not all mods created for Oldrim are supported on Skyrim: Special Edition. 

When it comes to differences between Skyrim: Special Edition and Skyrim: Anniversary Edition those aren’t so drastic but Anniversary Edition does contain some additional content that you don’t want to miss out on. For example Fishing, Ghosts of the Tribunal, and Bloodchill Manor player house. All things considered, there are a few ways to differentiate between different versions of the game let’s review them!

How do I know if your Skyrim is Special Edition or Anniversary Edition? 

As we’ve already mentioned Skyrim Anniversary Edition is the newest release of Skyrim, it brings nothing new in the technical sense but it does bring loads of new and free creation club content. There’s also the matter of a new .exe file that requires the installation of a separate and new version of Skyrim Script Extender. You can check whether you have Skyrim SE or AE by following these steps: 

1. Check your Steam game icon, Skyrim Anniversary Edition has a golden icon whereas Skyrim Special Edition has a silver icon. 
2. Check your version number, all versions above 1.5.97 are considered to be Anniversary Edition. If you have 1.6.xx version you have Skyrim Anniversary Edition. 

How to check your Skyrim version number? 

Now that we’ve touched the issue of “version numbers” if you don’t know how to check that out we’ve prepared a step-by-step guide to guide you through the process. There are two ways to check your Skyrim version and both are equally easy. You can check your current version number from the game or by checking your.exe file version. To check the version number in-game follow these steps: 

1. Launch the game and load any save. 
2. Press “ESC” and the menu should open.
3. Check the bottom left corner of the menu overlay you should see a string of numbers, this number is your current version of Skyrim. 
4. If you have SKSE (Skyrim Script Extender) installed, you will also be able to check out your current version right next to your game version. 

If you want to check out your current version of Skyrim via the .exe file on the other hand without launching the game you can do that by following these steps: 

1. Navigate to your Skyrim shortcut on the desktop and right-click it.
2. Go to “open file location” 
3. This will lead you to your Skyrim’s root folder, once there navigate to your game’s executable, .exe file. 
4. Once there, right-click the .exe file and go to “Properties” 
5. Once the properties screen has opened, go to “Details” 
6. Product Version is what you should be looking out for as it holds the same string of numbers you can see in the game’s menu. This is your current Skyrim version. 

As you can see it’s easy and convenient and there’s really not much to it. 

What is the current version of Skyrim: Special Edition? 

If we’re talking about strictly Skyrim: Special Edition without the addition of Anniversary Edition, in that case, the latest version is 1.5.16, the last small update for Skyrim: Special Edition was released in November 2017. 

However, if we’re talking about Skyrim: Special Edition with additional Skyrim: Anniversary Edition, in that case, the latest 2022 version is 1.6.6. The last small update was released in September of this year. 

You can read all about updates and what they changed and upgraded by following this link. 

As we’ve mentioned before, all versions of the game under 1.6 are considered Skyrim: Special Edition, since the major update of 1.6 was the inclusion of the Anniversary Edition update. 

As you can see it can be quite confusing, but once you figure out the numbers and check out the differences between the versions, it gets easier. The most important thing, however, is to keep the game regularly updated, and, if you run into some issues related to the mods, always check the compatibility sections!

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!