---
title: "How long to play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? about 34 hours f"
description: "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim takes about 34 hours for the main story — main story; completionist runs are roughly 232 hours. What that assumes, how it breaks down, an"
url: https://atoneplace.net/how-long-to/skyrim/
site: "At One Place"
---

# How long does it take to play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim?

**How long to play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: about 34 hours for the main story**

main story; completionist runs are roughly 232 hours

Skyrim's main quest takes about 34 hours, but the completionist figure of roughly 232 hours is nearly seven times longer — the widest ratio between "finishing" and "completing" of any major game. That gap exists because the game generates radiant quests indefinitely, so "completion" is partly a matter of when the player decides to stop. Skyrim has been re-released so many times since 2011 that a player could have bought it on five separate platforms. Median times have barely moved in a decade, which is unusual and suggests the figure is stable rather than still settling.

## The numbers

- **Total:** 34 hours
- **In hours:** 34 hours
- **Non-stop:** 1.4 days without sleeping
- **Covers:** main story; completionist runs are roughly 232 hours
- **At a realistic pace:** two hours an evening
- **That works out as:** about 17 days

## What this assumes

Player-reported medians. The completionist figure is especially soft because the game contains procedurally generated quests with no natural end.

> The range across players is very wide; the completionist figure depends heavily on whether radiant quests are counted.

## Other games

| What | How long |
| --- | --- |
| Elden Ring | about 53 hours for the main story |
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | about 52 hours for the main story |
| The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | about 50 hours for the main story |
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | about 59 hours for the main story |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | about 50 hours for the main story |
| Baldur's Gate 3 | about 50 hours for the main story |
| Persona 5 Royal | about 102 hours for the main story |
| Final Fantasy VII | about 37 hours for the main story |
| Grand Theft Auto V | about 32 hours for the main story |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | about 26 hours for the main story |
| Hollow Knight | about 25 hours for the main story |
| Portal 2 | about 8 hours 30 minutes for the main story |

## Common questions

### How long does it take to play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim?

about 34 hours for the main story — main story; completionist runs are roughly 232 hours.

### What does that assume?

Player-reported medians. The completionist figure is especially soft because the game contains procedurally generated quests with no natural end.

### How long at a realistic pace?

two hours an evening — about 17 days.

## Related pages

- [How long to play Elden Ring?](https://atoneplace.net/how-long-to/elden-ring/)
- [How long to play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt?](https://atoneplace.net/how-long-to/the-witcher-3/)
- [How long to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild?](https://atoneplace.net/how-long-to/breath-of-the-wild/)
- [How long to play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?](https://atoneplace.net/how-long-to/tears-of-the-kingdom/)
- [How long to play Red Dead Redemption 2?](https://atoneplace.net/how-long-to/red-dead-redemption-2/)
- [How long to play Baldur's Gate 3?](https://atoneplace.net/how-long-to/baldurs-gate-3/)
- [How long to play Persona 5 Royal?](https://atoneplace.net/how-long-to/persona-5-royal/)
- [How long to play Final Fantasy VII?](https://atoneplace.net/how-long-to/final-fantasy-vii/)
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## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)