In one word – yes, the Skyrim Anniversary upgrade is absolutely worth it for most players. While not essential, the visual enhancements, extensive new content and optimized performance on new platforms provide strong incentive for both new and returning Dragonborn to experience this RPG classic at its best.
For context, the Skyrim Anniversary Edition bundles the original base game, all DLC expansions, plus over 500 pieces of additional Creation Club content. This includes new quests, dungeons, items and gameplay features crafted by Bethesda and external partner modders.
What‘s Included in the Anniversary Edition?
Here‘s a breakdown of everything you get:
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition (the 2016 remaster)
- Dawnguard DLC
- Hearthfire DLC
- Dragonborn DLC
- Over 500 pieces of Creation Club content
Notable Creation Club additions:
- Fishing – New fishing activities and gameplay
- Rare Curios – Become a relic hunter
- Survival Mode – More hardcore survival mechanics
- Saints & Seducers – Rival Daedric faction questline
- New mounts, armor sets, spells, weapons
In total, Bethesda estimates there is over 70 hours of new gameplay content in the Anniversary upgrade.
Significantly Improved Graphics and Performance
One of the biggest perks is the major graphical upgrade. The Anniversary Edition uses the Skyrim Special Edition engine, giving it improved lighting, textures, visual effects and more compared to the original 2011 release.
On PC, the Anniversary Edition supports up to 4K resolution textures. On PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, it runs smooth 60 FPS gameplay at up to 2K resolution. This is a massive jump from the 720p/30FPS of PS3/Xbox 360.
Loading times are also vastly reduced thanks to the new consoles‘ SSDs. Fast traveling and entering buildings/dungeons is almost instant now. No more long pauses that disrupt immersion.
For comparison, here are approximate loading times for fast traveling between Whiterun and Markarth:
- Xbox 360: 60 seconds
- Xbox Series X: 5 seconds
- PS3: 50 seconds
- PS5: 3 seconds
This level of improved performance and buttery-smooth gameplay allows you to experience Skyrim at its absolute best.
An Incredible Value for First-Time Players
For gamers who have yet to play Skyrim, the Anniversary Edition is an unbelievable value. At the regular $49.99 USD MSRP, you‘re getting the complete Skyrim experience all in one package:
- Base game valued at $39.99
- Dawnguard DLC valued at $19.99
- Hearthfire DLC valued at $4.99
- Dragonborn DLC valued at $19.99
- Over 500 Creation Club items valued at $150+
That‘s over $235 worth of content and gameplay for just $49.99 – an 85% discount!
Consider also that Skyrim is still a top-rated RPG, with a 97 critic score and 9.1 user score on Metacritic after over a decade. Given the hundreds of hours of critically acclaimed content, first-time players are getting an incredible bargain with Anniversary Edition.
New Adventures for Returning Players
For those who have already sunk hundreds of hours into Skyrim over the years, is Anniversary Edition still worthwhile?
Absolutely. The volume of new content provides great incentive for a fresh playthrough, especially after so many years since your last visit to Tamriel.
The Skyrim game world itself remains unchanged – this isn‘t a sequel. But between Creation Club questlines like Saints & Seducers, Rare Curios, Fishing and Survival Mode, there are dozens more hours of adventures to embark on.
New abilities, enemies, weapons and spells also allow you to build different character types and try new strategies in combat and exploration.
Consider also that the 60FPS performance and enhanced visuals make Skyrim feel like a new experience. Improved draw distances reveal details you may have never noticed before. The smoother framerate heightens combat‘s intensity.
While the core game is the same, the Anniversary Edition refresh is compelling for veterans. Think of it like a "New Game+" mode with fresh challenges and gear.
Understand the Mod Compatibility Impacts
One downside of upgrading is the Anniversary Edition may break existing mods you have installed for Skyrim Special Edition. This is because new content and features can interfere with mod scripts.
Before upgrading, it‘s recommended to clean out any SE mods that aren‘t confirmed compatible by the mod authors. Check pages and forums for compatibility notes.
Be prepared to tweak load orders and do some trial and error to get things stable after upgrading. Advanced mod users should back up saves so they can revert back if needed.
As gaming analyst Liam Corcoran suggests:
“For heavy mod users, evaluate if the Creation Club content is worth the hassle of reconfiguring your mod list. But the enhancements may still justify it."
Overall though, many top mods have now been updated to support Anniversary Edition. Just be cautious with the upgrade if you have 100+ mods installed.
The Verdict – Worth It for Most Players
Given the above factors, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is absolutely worth upgrading to for most players.
For first-timers, it‘s a no-brainer. You get the complete Skyrim experience with 500+ hours of acclaimed content at an unbeatable value.
Even disregarding Creation Club, just the base game and DLCs represented hundreds of hours of gameplay and over $80 in value at launch. With the visual upgrades, Anniversary Edition is the definitive way to enjoy this masterpiece RPG.
Meanwhile, returning players get compelling reasons to revisit Tamriel between the 60FPS enhancements and new Creation Club quests adding dozens more hours of adventures.
Some mod users may want to wait for more updates to ensure compatibility. But outside of that niche case, the Anniversary Edition is highly recommended for all Dragonborn. Skyrim has never been better.
