How you quit Skyrim depends on your platform and whether you want to return to the desktop or simply leave the game running in the background. On PC, open the pause menu with Esc, then look under System for Quit. On PlayStation, use the console’s game-exit option: Quit Game on PS3 or Close Application on PS4.
Quit Skyrim on PC
- Press Esc to open the pause menu.
- Open System and select Quit. If another prompt appears, choose the option to exit to the desktop and confirm.
The exact labels and steps can vary by PC edition. The older official PC manual says Quit returns to the main menu; later player reports describe a Quit option in System that may lead to a separate desktop choice. Follow the wording shown in your installed version rather than expecting one sequence to apply to every release. Bethesda’s PC manual documents Esc as the pause-menu key and describes the older menu behavior; the later-menu pointer is based on player reports.
Quit Skyrim on PlayStation
PS3
Hold the PS button for at least two seconds, then select Quit Game. This is the exit procedure in the PS3 system manual.
PS4 Skyrim Special Edition
Hold the PS button and select Close Application. Pressing the PS button alone takes you to the home screen but does not close the game, so you can return to it. See the PS4 system manual.
#1 Best Overall
- Winner of more than 200 Game of the Year Awards, Skyrim Special Edition brings the epic fantasy to life in stunning detail.
- The Special Edition includes the critically acclaimed game and add-ons with all-new features.
- All-new features include remastered art and effects, volumetric god rays, dynamic depth of field, screen-space reflections, and more.
- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Blood and gore, intense violence, sexual themes, use of alcohol
Xbox and other platforms
Bethesda’s support page lists the button used to open the pause menu as Start on Xbox 360 and Menu on Xbox One, but it does not give a complete exit procedure. The available documentation does not establish a single exact quit sequence for Xbox Series consoles, Nintendo Switch, or every newer edition. For those versions, use the system’s own game-closing controls and follow the labels displayed on screen. Bethesda’s pause-menu support article identifies pause buttons for PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, and Xbox One.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Pause menu or fully quit?
Returning to a console home screen is not always the same as closing the game. On PS4, pressing PS leaves Skyrim open in the background; choose Close Application to quit it. On PC, distinguish returning to the main menu from exiting to the desktop, since the older manual and later player reports describe different menu behavior.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- EPIC FANTASY REBORN - Skyrim reimagines and revolutionizes the open-world fantasy epic, bringing to life a complete virtual world open for you to explore any way you choose.
- LIVE ANOTHER LIFE, IN ANOTHER WORLD - Play any type of character you can imagine, and do whatever you want; the legendary freedom of choice, storytelling, and adventure of The Elder Scrolls is realized like never before.
- YOU ARE WHAT YOU PLAY - Choose from hundreds of weapons, spells, and abilities. The new character system allows you to play any way you want and define yourself through your actions.
- BATTLE DRAGONS - Battle ancient dragons like you’ve never seen. As Dragonborn, learn their secrets and harness their power for yourself.
- INCLUDED CONTENT - The Anniversary Edition includes the core game, pre-existing and new Creation Club content, plus all three official add-ons: Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn.
Rank #4
- Winner of more than 200 game of the year awards, Skyrim special edition brings the epic fantasy to life in stunning detail
- The special edition includes the critically acclaimed game and add-ons with all-new features
- All-new features include remastered art and effects, volumetric god rays, dynamic depth of field, screen-space reflections, and more
- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Blood and gore, intense violence, sexual themes, use of alcohol
Rank #3
- Live Another Life, In Another World: Play any type of character you can imagine, and do whatever you want; the freedom of choice, storytelling, and adventure of The Elder Scrolls comes to life in one legendary experience from all three official add-ons.
- Dawnguard: The Vampire Lord Harkon has returned to power. By using the Elder Scrolls, he seeks to do the unthinkable - to end the sun itself. Will you join the ancient order of the Dawnguard and stop him? Or will you become a Vampire Lord?
- Hearthfire: Purchase land and build your own home from the ground up - from a simple one-room cottage to a sprawling compound complete with an armory, alchemy laboratory, and more.
- Dragonborn: Journey off the coast of Morrowind, to the vast island of Solstheim. Traverse the ash wastes and glacial valleys of this new land as you become more powerful with shouts that bend the will of your enemies and even tame dragons.
Rank #2
- ANNIVERSARY EDITION CONTENT — Includes the base game, Dawnguard, Hearthfire, Dragonborn, and hundreds of Creation Club items such as quests, weapons, armor, spells, and dungeons.
- SWITCH 2 ENHANCEMENTS — Explore Skyrim with updated visuals, improved load times, and optimized performance for Nintendo Switch 2.
- SHAPE YOUR ADVENTURE — Choose your character and decide how to play in an open world that responds to your actions.
- BUILD YOUR CHARACTER — Choose from hundreds of weapons, spells, and abilities to define your play style.
- BATTLE DRAGONS — Face ancient dragons as the Dragonborn, learn their secrets, and harness their power.
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