Skyrim Special Edition goes gold, Bethesda reveals system requirements

Bethesda has announced that its remastered version of open-world RPG The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has officially gone gold and is ready for launch. The developer has also revealed details on the epic fantasy's PC system requirements and console file size.

"It feels like just yesterday we announced that Skyrim had "Gone Gold" back in 2011," global community lead Matt Grandstaff wrote in a post on 10 October. "Yet here we are – five years later – and we're thrilled to announce that Skyrim Special Edition has gone gold, and that October 28 launch date is fast-approaching. All the memories – fan tributes, mods, personal stories and even that phenomenon of taking an arrow to the knee – feel fresh again."

While the specs are certainly higher than those needed to run the original game back in 2011, they are still relatively modest by today's standards, particularly for PC gamers.

While gamers in North America will require 20GB of storage space on PS4 and 17 GB on Xbox One, those in Europe will require a bit more at 33GB and 25GB respectively.

In addition to receiving a major visual makeover, including remastered art and effects, Skyrim: Special Edition features volumetric God rays, new snow and water shaders, dynamic depth of field, screen-space reflections and mod support on consoles.

Bethesda confirmed last week that the upcoming remaster and Fallout 4 will receive mod support on PS4 after working hard with Sony "to make this possible". Earlier in September, the company revealed that Sony told them that they would not approve user mods the way they should work.

The developer also announced that both titles will support the newly announced PlayStation 4 Pro and render both in native 4k. Mod support will come with the remastered Skyrim when it releases later this month, giving players the opportunity to churn out their own unique, custom content using Bethesda's Creation Kit.

"What's most exciting to us is that Special Edition also means a new generation of players can create new Skyrim Memories and learn what it means to be Dragonborn for the very first time," Grandstaff wrote. "Skyrim Special Edition going gold also marks the first time we're celebrating a release as an international studio. We can't say enough about the hard work and love our Montreal studio poured into this project."

Here are the minimum and recommended PC requirements as well console storage requirements for Skyrim: Special Edition:

Skyrim Special Edition is slated to release for PS4, Xbox One and PC on 28 October.

Steam customers who already own Skyrim and the three DLC packs - Dawnguard, Hearthfire and Dragonborn - on PC can grab the revamped version for free.