Via PC Gamer:

Game director Todd Howard has been talking about the PC version of the game will compete with its console competitors. Aside from better quality textures and higher resolutions, he says Skyrim will “looks the same” on PC as it does on consoles. However, possible DirectX 11 support further down the line could give the PC version a significant graphical advantage.

Howard was spoke to Eurogamer about the PC version of Skyrim. “It scales up in all the ways you would expect. We author our art really high res. There are little things we do with all of our games on the PC. With the PC the texture sizes are going to be as big as you want to make them, and you can pump the resolution up, obviously.”

When it comes to comparisons with the console versions, Howard says “the game looks the same. The benefit we get when you’re playing a PC game is you’re sitting this far away [moves hands in front of his face]. At home when you’re on your console you’re usually sitting six to eight feet away.” He adds that Skyrim is “mostly a DirectX 9 game in terms of how the shaders work.”

Howard does say that there’s chance that advanced DirectX 11 support further down the line. “When it comes to DirectX 11 there are things they get us for free, like performance gains. You’re going to get performance gains out of it versus an older version.

“But the specifics DX11 does, like tessellation and all that kinda stuff, we aren’t taking advantage of that right now. That doesn’t mean we won’t in the future. We aren’t right now because we want to author it so it looks great.”

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is set for a worldwide release on November 11. It’s looking pretty amazing for a DirectX 9 game. Check out the latest batch of screens to see for yourself.

Personally, I think that's just fine and dandy. As long as it plays well and has a good story, the graphics can always be improved with mods on PC. The thing is... you can see how the development of the game has been geared towards consoles. Not a bad thing per se, but if it does limit its potential due to the constrains imposed by an aging generation of consoles, well... You get what I'm saying.

well thats a shame =/  after watching the gameplay trailer i thought this was one of the few games that'll really work up my future GTX 580 .

If the mod community pulls a miracle by making a graphics extender for Skyrim like they did Morrowind, I think we'll be fine.  Also so long as they put a lot of effort into the art direction and make the whole game look visually pleasing as well as engaging with good game mechanics, we will have a winner regardless of the level of DirectX that was used.

However it doesn't mean I wouldn't want an Elder Scrolls game that is trying to get a visual fidelity close to what will be on offer with Battlefield 3 for example, as that would just be amazing to immerse myself into.  Perhaps next time I guess.

Personally I didn't think that the screenshots or videos of it looked fantastic. But I don't care. I'm more in for the gameplay and insanity (story) anyway :)

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Just another console downgrade like crysis 2, where all versions looks the same. It better have mod support and they don't take that out. I hope we still get graphical options this time around unlike the trend we are seeing with pc games lately.

I honestly think that pc gaming has already surpassed consoles by two api, like DX10 and DX11 and since consoles are where all the money is, they don't even want to use DX11 at all. They don't get anymore money out of it and they don't care which will only alienate more pc gamers.

Long as it plays well, fuck, do, I, care.

" @Cirdain: Damn you...no more Witcher 2 pics...no more Witcher 2 anything, i hate getting hyped! "

" Long as it plays well, fuck, do, I, care. "

Well this makes me very happy and I guess I'm going with the PC version, my rig is mostly for DX9 and DX10 games anyway

Its kind of disappointing because i want my pc to be utilised to the max but we're at a moment in time when until we get a new batch of consoles based around dx11 this is how its going to be. It still looks great, it will still play great all will still be great but I just cant help get away from the "what if" scenario where id love to see what my pc is really capable of right now.

Looks good to me so

There seems to be a fairly disappointing apathy towards DX11 in general, which is a a shame, because it's capable of some very cool tricks. Eh, I get it. Put your focus were the profits are to be had.

MEH, I'm sure the gameplay will make up for it not being the most graphically intensive rpg ever.  

" MEH, I'm sure the gameplay will make up for it not being the most graphically intensive rpg ever.  

EDIT: Also do you guys think it will look better on my 360 (optimized for it) or my pc with a 460gtx?

"

" @TaliciaDragonsong said:

" Long as it plays well, fuck, do, I, care. "

Well said...well said indeed sir. "

I think it looks great regardless of which version of DX its optimized for, Bethesda titles have always lived by their mod community and, you know, the hundreds of hours of content already there. Doesn't matter, I plan to build a decent PC by the time this and Rage are out, the less I have to spend to get things going at good settings the better.

its sad only because it doesn't advance pc development. Even if you don't use the features you have to put out DX11 in 2011.

" @TheDudeOfGaming said:

" @TaliciaDragonsong said:

" Long as it plays well, fuck, do, I, care. "

Well said...well said indeed sir. "

Its madame actually, but thanks!I seriously believe graphics are at their peak, sure they could be better what good will it do for the story/gameplay/replaying?Gimme gameplay, or get out. "

No one has seen what this game will look like on a pc yet.

Wow, that's pretty disappointing. There better be content as amazing as the Dark Brotherhood quest line from Oblivion or I'm going to be pissed.

I still don't get why people are always up in arms when a game says they won't use DX11. Yes, there are a few new tricks and some efficiencies that come with using it, but only if its done right. DX9 still has lots of room to make really amazing looking games. Just look at that new Rage demo!

" I still don't get why people are always up in arms when a game says they won't use DX11. Yes, there are a few new tricks and some efficiencies that come with using it, but only if its done right. DX9 still has lots of room to make really amazing looking games. Just look at that new Rage demo! "

" Long as it plays well, fuck, do, I, care. "

" @TaliciaDragonsong said:

" @TheDudeOfGaming said:

" @TaliciaDragonsong said:

" Long as it plays well, fuck, do, I, care. "

Well said...well said indeed sir. "

Its madame actually, but thanks!I seriously believe graphics are at their peak, sure they could be better what good will it do for the story/gameplay/replaying?Gimme gameplay, or get out. "

Well graphics certainly help immersion etc and it's such a visual medium. Stuff like Uncharted is as thrilling as it is in no small part because of how it looks. And since they aren't mutually exclusive, there's zero reason to not want things to look visually better. "

I am perfectly fine with DX9 at the moment.

Hell, I just want the game to be fun before I complain about graphics.

" Wow, that's pretty disappointing. There better be content as amazing as the Dark Brotherhood quest line from Oblivion or I'm going to be pissed. "

FUCKING CONSOLES GRRAAAAAAAHHHHH

" Personally I didn't think that the screenshots or videos of it looked fantastic. But I don't care. I'm more in for the gameplay and insanity (story) anyway :)

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Do I care... No.Gameplay ftw!!!P.S. I think Witcher 2 gonna be better anyway but I'm looking forward to Skyrim as well :) "

" @Cirdain said:

" Personally I didn't think that the screenshots or videos of it looked fantastic. But I don't care. I'm more in for the gameplay and insanity (story) anyway :)

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Do I care... No.Gameplay ftw!!!P.S. I think Witcher 2 gonna be better anyway but I'm looking forward to Skyrim as well :) "

Even Oblivions wooden ass combat was better than The Witcher :P "

" @Chavtheworld said:

" @Cirdain said:

" Personally I didn't think that the screenshots or videos of it looked fantastic. But I don't care. I'm more in for the gameplay and insanity (story) anyway :)

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Do I care... No.Gameplay ftw!!!P.S. I think Witcher 2 gonna be better anyway but I'm looking forward to Skyrim as well :) "

Even Oblivions wooden ass combat was better than The Witcher :P "

I liked the bit in oblivion where you fought TROLLs! You know. Then there was that time you walk past somewhere and get a side quest where you go into into a painting and fought painted TROLLs who were TROLLING around and they were painted so they were like normal TROLLs but even scummier! "

" @Cirdain said:

" @Chavtheworld said:

" @Cirdain said:

" Personally I didn't think that the screenshots or videos of it looked fantastic. But I don't care. I'm more in for the gameplay and insanity (story) anyway :)

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Do I care... No.Gameplay ftw!!!P.S. I think Witcher 2 gonna be better anyway but I'm looking forward to Skyrim as well :) "

Even Oblivions wooden ass combat was better than The Witcher :P "

I liked the bit in oblivion where you fought TROLLs! You know. Then there was that time you walk past somewhere and get a side quest where you go into into a painting and fought painted TROLLs who were TROLLING around and they were painted so they were like normal TROLLs but even scummier! "

 What are you trying to say?

"

I'm cool with it. I don't really see the problem. From what we've seen already, it looks great. If DX11 makes it look better then fine, but it obviously isn't hurting without it.

Oh, come on, guys. Don't get so personal. Different people, different opinions.

I think that we can all agree that not suffering SpeedTree and Gamebryo more than makes up for DX9, right? :)

The screens and trailer footage look fantastic. DX11 doesn't matter if they're pumping out that stuff. What are you really missing out on... tesselation? Zero point in that if the game isn't constructed with it in mind.

DX9 is perfectly serviceable.

I still play TES: 4 at least once a year..... so as long as this has good story and game play I don't care. (Also even if its only DX9 a lot of really nice looking games are DX9, so although some lighting from DX11 would be nice it isn't to big of a deal.)