Skyrim:PlayStation

The purpose of this page is to document some aspects of Skyrim that are specific to the PlayStation version of the game. The vast majority of gameplay is identical on all platforms (PC, Xbox, or PlayStation): the quests are the same, the glitches are the same with exception to lag issues being less prevalent on PC. One difference during gameplay is that reaching certain milestones will unlock Trophies; these are listed at Achievements.

The PS3 version of the game has some issues with lag (loading), although most of this was rectified with version 1.4 of the Official Skyrim Patch. It was widely reported on Bethsoft's Official Forums and across a large number of reputable gaming websites (IGN, Gamespot, CVG, etc.) that the lag problem was bad enough to "stop or badly affect gameplay" with a large number of players save games becoming frozen upon loading, as well as a whole host of other bugs including poor rendering, the inability to trade, and prevention from completing quests and issues both pre-existing and caused by the patches made to the game. Bethesda stated that patch 1.2 would focus on these performance problems, but the patch didn't help at all. Afterwards, Bethesda stated that patch 1.4 would get rid of the PS3 lag.

Patch version 1.5 introduced a major game-crashing glitch connected with the improved water shaders. After installation of the patch, any attempt to go underwater would result in the game crashing. The solution to this is to delete all Skyrim data (Update and Game) in the Game Data Utility. This does not affect or include your save game data. Once this is done, reinstall the game data and the patch will update. The glitch is only present if, when updating, you have not yet downloaded patch 1.5.

A method of reducing the frequency of freezing and lag is to disable autosaving, which entails turning off Save on Rest, Save on Wait, Save on Travel, and disabling Save on Character Menu. However, this method will obviously necessitate the frequent use of manual saves.

A remastered Skyrim Special Edition was released on PS4 on October 28, 2016. This version is also available for the PS5.

Patches
Major changes with patches are noted here. They are listed in reverse order as it is not possible to use a previous update once the next one is released and downloaded.

Version 1.10
Released on 3 April 2018 (Special Edition)

Support for additional player homes
Minor bug fixes for Bethesda.net
Skyrim Special Edition version 1.10 updated script functions for new Creations
Wolves have regained the ability to howl.

Version 1.9
Released on 8 April 2013 (identified as 2.09 while downloading).

Legendary difficulty setting. 
Legendary Skills.
General memory and stability improvements.
Fixed a number of quest and item bugs.
Companions will equip better weapons and armor if given to them.

Version 1.8
Released in English-speaking territories on 11 February 2013.

Adds a "Downloadable Content" section to the in-game load menu.
General memory and stability improvements.
Fixed rare crash when using vampiric grip.

Version 1.7
Released on 9 August 2012 for North American users, and 27 August 2012 in Europe.

Version 1.6, including Mounted Combat.
General memory and stability optimizations.
Fixed crash related to new water shaders.
Fixed rare crash related to dragon landings.

Version 1.5
Released on 5 April 2012.

New cinematic kill moves for ranged weapons and spells.
Improved visual transition when going underwater. There is a major problem related to the underwater fix, the game would freeze any time you attempted to go underwater.
To solve this issue you need to delete your Update and Game Data in the Game Data Utility; then redownload the Update and reinstall the Game Data. Game Data is not your Save Data, your progress is safe.

Version 1.4
Released on 9 February 2012.

Some people have reported the lag issue has been much improved; however, others have reported no change.

Version 1.3
Released on 15 December 2011.

Fixed issues introduced by version 1.2
Some "General Stability Improvements"

Version 1.2
Released on 28 November 2011.

Fixed issues related to having a large amount of in-game "Days Passed".
Dragon corpses disappear correctly.
The now infamous backwards flying Dragons appeared.
Caused resistances to not calculate correctly and therefore have no effect.
Scripts causing Treasure Map chests to appear do not work.

Version 1.1
Released on 11 November 2011 (same day as game release).

Minor issues with the released game corrected.

Missing PC Features
Some of the PC features that are not available on the PlayStation are:
The console.  This means that PC bug fixes on articles are not available to players. It also means that most cheats and exploits are not available.
The Creation Kit.  The Creation Kit does not directly affect game play; rather it allows the game files to be viewed and edited. A lot of the information on the Wiki is derived from the Creation Kit, because it allows the factors controlling gameplay to be easily identified. However CSList, a tool to display game data, is provided by the site and available for viewing by technically inclined users.
Third party mods are unavailable; see this section for more details.

Interface Differences
Although the keyboard and PlayStation controller clearly provide very different methods of interacting with the game, most of the controls work the same way.  Some differences, however, include:
On the PlayStation there is no way to toggle Automove.
Walking vs running is controlled by how far forward you push the left thumbstick.  Slight motions of the thumbstick will cause your character to walk; pushing the thumbstick as far as it will go will cause your character to go faster and by holding down L2 will make your character sprint. This is most obvious if you use third-person view.
The Quick Save and Quick Load shortcuts are not available on the PS3; save and load are only accessible through the Menu options.
The Special Edition includes a Quicksave option, and sprinting is toggled rather than dependent on holding the button. The default controls are different to the PS3 controls.

Downloadable Content
All DLC is included with the Special Edition for PS4 and PS5. 
Dawnguard was released on the PS3 on February 26, 2013 in the United States, and February 27, 2013 in English-speaking territories.
Hearthfire was released on the PS3 on February 19, 2013 in the United States, and February 20, 2013 in English-speaking territories.
Dragonborn was released on the PS3 on February 12, 2013 in the United States, and February 13, 2013 in English-speaking territories.

Creation Club content is available for the Special Edition on PS4 and PS5. All Creation Club content is bundled with the Anniversary Edition.

Third Party Mods
Unlike on Xbox One, Special Edition only has limited mod support on PlayStation. Only assets already included within the game may be used. Any mod that adds textures, meshes, animations, sounds, and/or scripts will not be PlayStation-compatible. Note that trophies are disabled when playing with mods. 

The original console release of Skyrim does not support mods on either PS3 or Xbox 360. Mod development is only possible on PC.