Now almost a decade old, Bethesda's venerable RPG classic current-generation consoles like the PS5.
Skyrim premiered in November 2011, originally for PCs, the PS3, and the Xbox 360. Though it had a number of technical problems across systems, it went on to be patched and become such a hit that Skyrim: Special Edition came to the PC, PS4, and Xbox One in October 2016, featuring not just graphics upgrades and previous DLC, but modding on consoles. November 2017 saw the release of a Switch port, plus Skyrim VR for Windows headsets and PSVR.
Skyrim does indeed run on the PS5, but only thanks to the console's backwards compatibility with a large number of PS4 games. It doesn't feature any enhanced graphics, sound, or gameplay, and its performance has yet to be optimized - assuming Bethesda intends to do that at all. By default Skyrim is capped at 30 frames per second, which while very playable may be jarring to people used to 60 or even 120 fps. A -made 60 fps mod is available from Bethesda's database, but that's about as much of a speed boost as gamers can expect, aside from the PS5's SSD reducing load times.
What's Holding Back A Skyrim Update For the PS5?
Bethesda already has several other RPG projects to dedicate resources to, which is likely why a PS5 update for Skyrim probably isn't high on their list. It's currently running two online services, Fallout 76 and The Elder Scrolls Online, and developing both the The Elder Scrolls 6 and an original sci-fi property, Starfield. The latter is due to ship first, probably in 2022. The advanced state of that project, combined with pandemic-related production issues, likely means that enhancing Skyrim for the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S is a low priority.
Conceivably Bethesda could dedicate a small team to the idea once its offices are opened up and Starfield is either out or close to release. But apart from offering 4K resolution and performance boosts, it's uncertain what the company could do - improving texture or model detail might involve art staff that could be better used to speed up the next Elder Scrolls, a game that people don't already own on every platform under the sun. Surprises do happen in the game industry, however.
