The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has been ported, albeit unofficially, to yet another unexpected platform. First released in 2011, Skyrim‘s constant ports and re-releases have since become a fandom in-joke. It’s officially available for nine platforms officially, plus a parody port for Amazon Alexa released alongside its next-gen port.
But fan efforts have created something even more impressive: a playable Skyrim on the Game Boy Advance SP, Nintendo’s 2003 flip-open console. Despite being a handheld that predates Skyrim by eight years, the SP can now run Bethesda’s massive open-world RPG, owing to Reddit user Apprehensive-Word891 (via Gaming Bible).
These Skyrim Re-Releases Are Getting Ridiculous
The GBA Is Only The Latest Skyrim Port
After Bethesda re-released Skyrim for a variety of different console generations and platforms, fans took up the mantle. They’ve been able to bring Skryim to all manner of unusual devices, including a keyboard’s OLED screen, a digital camera, and a car stereo (the latter two efforts thanks to Can It Skyrim? on YouTube).
It parallels and parodies a similar set of fan ports for the 1993 shooter Doom, which players have managed to run on rotary phones, pregnancy tests, and even another copy of Doom.
Now, Skyrim is playable on yet another Nintendo handheld, following the release of its Switch 2 version in December. Although Apprehensive-Word891 isn’t clear on just how they got Skyrim running on their GBA, they did provide a couple of hints.
This Is An Impressive Feat
How Skyrim On GBA Actually Works
Some suggest that the console in the image is not a real SP, but a modern retro-style emulator — but OP insists it’s the real thing, albeit with an upgraded, backlit screen. What’s really happening here is that the Game Boy is being used simply as a monitor, while Skyrim is running on a PC/another console nearby.
Apprehensive-Word891 was also able to connect an Xbox 360 controller to their SP, since the handheld doesn’t have enough buttons to support Skyrim‘s full control scheme. You’ll notice they’re never seen pressing the Game Boy’s buttons in the video above.
So, it may not be a true GBA port, but it’s still an impressive — and, as OP admits, “expensive” — effort. It’s player creativity like this that’s kept The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim interesting and relevant, year after year and port after port.
- Released
-
November 11, 2011
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes
- Engine
-
Creation
- Expansions
-
Skyrim: Dragonborn, Skyrim: Hearthfire, Skyrim: Dawnguard
