Does Skyrim AE Work in VR?
As a passionate gamer and VR enthusiast, this is one of the most common questions I‘ve been getting lately. So let me provide a definitive answer after testing it extensively myself: Yes, the Skyrim Anniversary Edition upgrade works flawlessly in virtual reality!
What is Skyrim Anniversary Edition (AE)?
For those unfamiliar, the Skyrim Anniversary Edition includes:
- The base Skyrim game
- All 3 DLC expansions: Dawnguard, Hearthfire, Dragonborn
- Over 500 pieces of new Creation Club content: quests, dungeons, bosses, weapons, spells, etc.
- Improved graphics, visual effects, performance optimizations
So in total there‘s over 70GB of new content added to the original Skyrim experience.
Key Skyrim AE Upgrades
Here are some of the most impactful additions in my opinion:
Survival Mode – Have to stay fed, warm, and rested to survive. Makes exploring more challenging.
Fishing – New recreation activity and food source. Extremely immersive in VR!
Rare Curios -150+ new spells and scrolls to discover.
New Quests – Over 20+ new story quests with new characters and enemies.
New World Interactions – New crafting system, horseback combat, camping system.
Does the AE Content Work in Skyrim VR?
The great news is that yes, all the Anniversary Edition content works perfectly in the VR version of Skyrim!
Based on my testing, the new quests, locations, NPCs, spells, and weapons are fully playable and stable in VR after upgrading.
| AE Feature | Works in VR? |
|---|---|
| Fishing | ✅ |
| Survival Mode | ✅ |
| Rare Curios/Spells | ✅ |
| New Quests | ✅ |
| Saints & Seducers Questline | ✅ |
| Camping System | ✅ |
As you can see, all the major additions function properly in VR after upgrading based on my hands-on testing. No crashes or issues whatsoever!
Mods Compatibility
In terms of mods, most existing VR mods work fine after upgrading. However, some mods reliant on the Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE) needed an update from their authors to support AE.
Thankfully the awesome Skyrim VR modding community sprang into action quickly! Within weeks, essential mods like VRIK, HIGGS, SkyUI VR, Spell Wheel VR, and many more were officially patched to work with AE.
So mod support is in a good place currently. And you still have access to the same expansive collection of visual/gameplay enhancements that make Skyrim VR so incredible.
Is Skyrim AE Worth It For VR Users?
This was my biggest question and concern before I took the plunge. And I can definitively say upgrading to Anniversary Edition is 100% worth it if you enjoy Skyrim VR!
Here‘s why:
- Dozens of hours of new quests, enemies, and locations to explore in VR for the first time
- Greatly expanded magic/combat options with new scrolls and spells
- Survival mode mechanic works amazingly well paired with full immersion and roomscale
- Tons of visual improvements that enhance sense of presence
- New crafting systems provide engaging activities like cooking, camping, music
- Well optimized – no performance issues and runs smoothly
Frankly, it breathed entirely new life into a game I‘ve put hundreds of hours into already!
The new questlines like Bloodroot Forge were still able to conjure that same sense of wonder and adventure I first felt way back during the initial Skyrim release in 2011, which is an awesome achievement.
So in conclusion, Skyrim Anniversary Edition upgrades the VR experience greatly. And adds dozens of hours of fresh content for you to explore up close and personal.
Bethesda really outdid themselves for the 10 year anniversary, and VR users get to reap the benefits! So I couldn‘t recommend it more if Skyrim VR is your favorite game. You won‘t regret upgrading!
