Almost a decade after launch like a mess on PS3, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on PS5 it can now be played at 60 FPS thanks to the work of one of the game’s console modders.
Created by a modder known as Wrighton, “Skyrim @ 60fps” is exactly what it says on the tin, unlocking the game’s frame rate on the PS5 to increase it from the standard 30 FPS. I downloaded and installed the mod yesterday, immediately noticed Skyrim running more smoothly, and found myself being sucked back to wander through snow-covered hills in search of strange NPCs and moral consequences.
“It was done using Bethesda’s own Creation Kit to create mods, but using a little trick in the software (which I did a video on my YouTube channel about), which allows bootstrap / config / .ini files to be loaded onto the PS4 platform, just like on the Xbox or PC, ”said Wrighton Kotaku in an email. “It works by changing a single value in Skyrimconfiguration file, which the game reads at startup. Thus allowing the game to run at 60fps instead of 30. ”
Skyrim received similar treatment on the Xbox Series X last month, with mods increasing the frame rate on that console to 60 FPS as well. Unlimited framerate mods seem to have been around on Xbox for some time, but it was only with the emergence of next generation consoles that players were able to take advantage of the benefits without putting the hardware into a frenzy. (Curiously, Digital Foundry reported This one Skyrim in fact, it ran at an increased frame rate more consistently on the Xbox Series S than on the X.)
An added bonus with the Wrighton mod is that it can be disabled and still work, allowing players to still win trophies while playing at a higher frame rate. Opening dozens of locks to get the Thief’s trophy has never felt so responsive.