The best Skyrim version 2025

[nilead]

 There is this question popping up every few weeks here on LL, so, lets assume you googled it and got here.

Short answer - 1.5.97 AKA SE. Not close. Downgrade for it from AE to get AE master files as needed. Get BEES, live long and prosper.

Long answer: Ive tried all three (LE, SE, AE 1.6.1170), with an LE build clocking at roughly 160 gigs, SE build a bit shy of half TB (1200 plugins) and an attempted rebuild of latter for AE.

 Reason to roll with LE are either having an allready existing stable build (and then you would not be asking the question), or some very niche use cases. Like LE for some reason supporting alot more bones per mesh, wich ive seen being relevant a couple of times. But even then that limit can be bypass by separating the mesh. Long story short, LE is obsoleete unless you've allready heavily invested. ESL support coming with SE alone is worth forgetting the idea of building on LE.

 Reasons why not AE are simpler, content coming with it is irrelevant, it brings nothing to the table. Wich means lots of modders gave up on it, wich includes a multitude of mods actually making skyrims combat enjoyable. No SCAR2  (Got an AE version), no MCO, no ELden Rim.  Edit: So, most stuff works, assuming you jump enough hoops, and there i a fair bit more jumping compared to SE. 

 As it stands, get AE, downgrade it to 1.5.97 and lock updates. There are reasons to run other versions, even good ol LE, but people for whom those are relevant know the best version for them allready.

 Edit: In a spirit of keeping this thread constructive, revisited some issues pointed out as solvable by the users, edited false or misguiding information as neccecery.

A handy resource for those looking to transfer existing builds to AE: https://modding.wiki/en/skyrim/users/skse-plugins

There are indeed options to run most stuff on AE. Besides downgrading SCAR2 to SCAR, loss of NET.script framework is another probably the only big remaining pain point. Still, as evidenecd by chart linked above, the number of AE incompatible frameworks and utilites is considerably lower than i initially assesed.  Thou with a number of 3rd and 4th party patches, modding AE even with nexus stuff resembles LL experience, scouring threads for patches and compability workarounds. So id say a newbie experience for SE is still superior. If there is a paricular mod, or AE version of the mod, that one wants, you can probably get almost the same player experience out of AE. It will be a rougher road to get there, however.

Edited June 24, 2025 by nilead
Found SCAR2 AE version

[belegost]

2 hours ago, nilead said:

LE is obsoleete unless you've allready heavily invested. ESL support coming with SE alone is worth forgetting the idea of building on LE.

This should be carved and gold-plated with big bold letters on the side of that meteor that comes crashing down on The Great Valley, so all the Littlefoots, Denvers and Barneys finally evolve and leave Bedrock behind.

Edited March 20, 2025 by belegost

[HentaiGnome]

I haven't had any need or reason to downgrade. I have the latest version of everything Skyrim-related and I'm doing just fine. 

[deathparade]

Pretty much the same here i have had no issues whatsoever
On top some of the mods mentioned all have had patched (by Doodlum lol)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/85491
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/95839
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/77285

I see patches for Elden Rims requirements too

[nilead]

On 3/21/2025 at 9:38 AM, deathparade said:

Pretty much the same here i have had no issues whatsoever
On top some of the mods mentioned all have had patched (by Doodlum lol)
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/85491
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/95839
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/77285

I see patches for Elden Rims requirements too

True, i was wrong. Besides SCAR2 wich still seem to be a no go, everything else i tried regarding combar can be inroporated so far. Getting through support threads and looking for 3rd and even 4th party patches is an experience i expect from LL, not Nexus, but it works. And conventional SCAR does the job adequately. Edited my original post in accordance with your corrections and some usefull finds made along error correction work.

[roldoi1911]

The one with the most mods you want.

[Kastagir]

The version you've invested the most time customizing through mod selection or mod editing.  They're all the same core game engine with the same hard-coded limitations.  Any differences are purely fabricated by mod "authors'" choice of which to support.  If you have zero time invested, install SE/AE and unofficial patches.  Put your lemming suit on and install mods 10 at a time.  When something breaks, delete everything and try again in a few months.

 

Or install once.  Add mods slowly, test them, evaluate them and choose carefully which to trust and keep.  Back up your game files regularly.  If you're just starting now, use SE/AE.  If you've been doing this since 2013 then this isn't even a question.

[Count Chocula]

On 3/20/2025 at 1:28 PM, HentaiGnome said:

I haven't had any need or reason to downgrade. I have the latest version of everything Skyrim-related and I'm doing just fine. 

Same. I did downgrade FO4, though.

[rinoceros100]

On 3/20/2025 at 6:52 PM, nilead said:

 There is this question popping up every few weeks here on LL, so, lets assume you googled it and got here.

Short answer - 1.5.97 AKA SE. Not close. Downgrade for it from AE to get AE master files as needed. Get BEES, live long and prosper.

Long answer: Ive tried all three (LE, SE, AE 1.6.1170), with an LE build clocking at roughly 160 gigs, SE build a bit shy of half TB (1200 plugins) and an attempted rebuild of latter for AE.

 Reason to roll with LE are either having an allready existing stable build (and then you would not be asking the question), or some very niche use cases. Like LE for some reason supporting alot more bones per mesh, wich ive seen being relevant a couple of times. But even then that limit can be bypass by separating the mesh. Long story short, LE is obsoleete unless you've allready heavily invested. ESL support coming with SE alone is worth forgetting the idea of building on LE.

 Reasons why not AE are simpler, content coming with it is irrelevant, it brings nothing to the table. Wich means lots of modders gave up on it, wich includes a multitude of mods actually making skyrims combat enjoyable. No SCAR2, no MCO, no ELden Rim.  Edit: So, most stuff works, assuming you jump enough hoops, and there i a fair bit more jumping compared to SE. 

 As it stands, get AE, downgrade it to 1.5.97 and lock updates. There are reasons to run other versions, even good ol LE, but people for whom those are relevant know the best version for them allready.

 Edit: In a spirit of keeping this thread constructive, revisited some issues pointed out as solvable by the users, edited false or misguiding information as neccecery.

A handy resource for those looking to transfer existing builds to AE: https://modding.wiki/en/skyrim/users/skse-plugins

There are indeed options to run most stuff on AE. Besides downgrading SCAR2 to SCAR, loss of NET.script framework is another pain point. Still, as evidenecd by chart linked above, the number of AE incompatible frameworks and utilites is considerably lower than i initially assesed.  Thou with a number of 3rd and 4th party patches, modding AE even with nexus stuff resembles LL experience, scouring threads for patches and compability workarounds. So id say a newbie experience for SE is still superior. If there is a paricular mod, or AE version of the mod, that one wants, you can probably get almost the same player experience out of AE. It will be a rougher road to get there, however.

 

 

full downgrade or best of both patcher? 

[Kanutten]

Sexlab is much slower on se than le.

 

I moved from le to ae when ae was new cause my old pc died and i mucked up the install of le on the new so it crashed a lot, seem like a good time to try ae. Turn out to be much easier to avoid crashes so i kept it. But i ditched dcl and naked defeat because the time they used to start sexlab scenes was too much. Sexlab P+ has helped. See no reason to downgrad to 1.5.97.

[nilead]

16 hours ago, rinoceros100 said:

full downgrade or best of both patcher? 

Take best of both. Some authors love to shove in CC masters, often for no reason at all. Saves you the headache.

[rinoceros100]

1 hour ago, nilead said:

Take best of both. Some authors love to shove in CC masters, often for no reason at all. Saves you the headache.

 

Thx for the reply. In the meantime I got working on a small mod list, currently on 1.6.1170. Do you figure, I can just run the patcher and then use bees, or do I need to redownload all 

the mods plus skse and so forth?

[belegost]

23 hours ago, rinoceros100 said:

 

 

full downgrade or best of both patcher? 

Depends whether you like the fishing or not. Masters are not a problem if you have dummy files and know your way around xEdit.

 

I hate fishing.

[rinoceros100]

6 hours ago, belegost said:

Depends whether you like the fishing or not. Masters are not a problem if you have dummy files and know your way around xEdit.

 

I hate fishing.

 

" this person went full Arthmoor-mode and refused?" Lmao, accurate. Ironically, the current List includes ussep because so many mods have it listed as a requirement (WHY)

 

On another note, I dont like fishing, but every once in a while you just do it because the game starts to feel empty.

 

Dont think Ive ever encountered issues with cc files in the first place (or didnt notice).

A lot of the collections on le Sexus.TM have a bunch of shit packed into them (not just cc files, most stuff is horribly optimized, dont get me started on making everything JKs Skyrim or utter gutter like Legacy of the DB) 

but except the usual bugs, fps tank and so forth, not that I can recall (1.5.97 it was I believe, came with the patcher)

[belegost]

4 hours ago, rinoceros100 said:

ussep

4.2.5b is not that hard to find if you ask around.

 

I didn't say I don't like fishing. I said I hate it.

Edited June 25, 2025 by belegost