Bethesda Softworks’ The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim became one of the best-selling and most iconic RPGs ever with its vast open world. However, the developers had several issues porting it to other consoles, with the worst offender being Sony’s PlayStation 3. Over a decade after the game’s release, one of the game’s programmers recounted this in an interview. While both Bethesda’s team and the PS3’s hardware are capable of impressive feats, their divide plays into a larger debate within gaming. Here is a breakdown of how Skyrim struggled on the PS3.
Skyrim’s PS3 Pitfalls
According to GamesRadar, Skyrim’s lead designer, Bruce Nesmith, confirmed that the game had many difficulties moving onto the Xbox 360’s rival, the PlayStation 3. During that era, complaints about crashes, lag, and lower framerates from PS3 gamers were widespread online. He said this was due to a different memory structure between the two consoles. The PlayStation’s memory system was evenly split between logic and graphics, which he described as a “Herculean effort” for the game’s programmers, whom he praised. Fortunately, by the time the DLC rolled around, there were enough patches and updates to get the game up to speed on the PS3, yet Nesmith still definitively preferred the 360.
Evolving Technology
While many fans were likely frustrated with this hurdle to getting the game about, those familiar with Skyrim’s development and size shouldn’t be surprised. When it was released, Skyrim was one of the most impressive open worlds in gaming with its size and content volume. According to Nesmith in the interview, the game was already pushing the limits of the 360’s capabilities. So, doing the same task with entirely different hardware was an additional hurdle. Outside of The Elder Scrolls, the “Console Wars” have always raged among gaming’s generations.
The divide between the technical capabilities and performance of the two has always been a source of debate. Of course, a game that thrives on one console won’t always do so on another. Of course, most of Skyrim’s most robust fans will tell gamers that the best version of the game is on the PC for one huge reason: mods. Few of Bethesda Softworks’ titles have reached the same massive, ongoing modding community that continues to create new experiences and features for the vanilla game. Fortunately, Nesmith confirmed that the same modding network would be available for Elder Scrolls 6 when it eventually releases.
The Game’s Many Ports
One reason this news is so ironic nowadays is simply how many ports and re-releases Skryim received from Bethesda. The game saw ports onto the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and their successors, and a VR version was released. Bethesda Softworks also released numerous remasters and anniversary editions of the game. The game even went onto a portable console with the Nintendo Switch.
The fact that the game still receives ports and physical re-releases shows how well it has stood the test of time. A similar example would be Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, heralded as the greatest of all time. In an age where so many older games, even classics, are lost to time, Skyrim stands as an example of how a game becomes timeless.
Up and Running
To summarize this story from Nesmith, fundamental technological differences between the PS3 and other systems created hurdles for Skyrim’s port. Despite this, Bethesda Softworks’ programmers eventually got Skyrim up and running on the console with numerous patches. The original game existed on a record-breaking scale, so seeing it reach a broader audience was equally rewarding. With the long-awaited The Elder Scrolls Six and the next console generation on the horizon, its team will have new tools and a chance to create another classic.
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