Where Are Skyrim Special Edition Save Files Located?
Skyrim Special Edition saves in Documents\My Games, the OneDrive trap that empties the save list, and how Anniversary Edition and VR differ.
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Skyrim Special Edition keeps its saves in the My Games folder under Documents, the same convention Bethesda has used since the 2011 game. The Saves folder holds your numbered save files, and the .ini files for graphics and controls sit one level above them.
The trap here is OneDrive. If Windows is syncing your Documents folder the path becomes OneDrive\Documents\My Games\..., and the game can fail to write saves or show an empty list. Anniversary Edition shares Special Edition's folder, while Skyrim VR gets one of its own.
Where The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition\Saves
If OneDrive backs up Documents, the real path is %USERPROFILE%\OneDrive\Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition\Saves. The GOG build writes to a sibling folder named Skyrim Special Edition GOG, and Anniversary Edition is Special Edition plus Creation Club content, so it uses this same folder.
~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/489830/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/My Games/Skyrim Special Edition/Saves
There is no native Linux release, so this is the Windows folder sitting inside the Proton prefix for Steam app 489830. The prefix lives in whichever Steam library folder the game is installed to, and the tail of the path stays the same.
Frequently asked questions
why cant skyrim see my saves one drive
Because OneDrive took over your Documents folder. Check whether the path reads OneDrive\Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition, then stop syncing Documents or move the folder back to C:\Users\[name]\Documents. The game needs write access there or saves vanish.
where are skyrim vr saves
In their own folder: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Skyrim VR\Saves. It does not share files with Special Edition, though the formats are close enough that players often link the two folders with a symlink to keep a single playthrough going.
skyrim special edition mac version
There is no official macOS release, so there is no native save folder to find on a Mac. People run it through compatibility layers like CrossOver or through Windows, and the saves then sit wherever that Windows environment keeps its Documents folder.
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