By the commonly cited community estimates, Breath of the Wild is bigger: one 2017 comparison puts Hyrule at 61.2 km² and Skyrim at 36.72 km². That makes Hyrule about 1.7 times the area on those figures. Neither number is an official, standardized measurement, so the result is best treated as an estimate rather than a definitive survey.
How the estimated map sizes compare
| Game | Reported area | What the figure represents |
|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | 61.2 km² | Community measurement by Reddit user HylianWarrior, reported by GamePro in 2017. |
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | 36.72 km² | Community measurement by the same user, reported by GamePro in 2017. |
On that comparison, Hyrule is roughly 1.7 times the size of Skyrim. GamePro’s report does not establish an official developer measurement or fully document the measuring method, so the figures should not be mistaken for publisher-issued statistics. GamePro’s comparison is the source for both numbers.
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What counts as “map size” matters
A map-area figure can describe accessible land, a game’s full terrain grid, or an area inside its outer boundaries. It can also include or exclude water, inaccessible ground, downloadable content and separately loaded worldspaces. Different choices can change the result, and the available figures do not demonstrate that both games were measured using identical rules.
Skyrim’s estimate covers the base-game province
SkyrimMap’s account of fan terrain-cell counting puts the base-game province at about 37.1 km². It explains that estimates can vary with the boundary definition, with figures around 37–40 km², and that its base-province estimate excludes Solstheim and separate spaces such as Blackreach, the Forgotten Vale and the Soul Cairn. GamePro’s 36.72 km² figure is another community estimate, not a directly comparable official statistic.
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- Discover Hyrule as never before: by making your own path, choices, and consequences
- Ingenuity is the key to survival: find multiple solutions to tons of dynamic puzzles
- Surprises hide around every corner: scavenge weapons, armor, plants, animals, and more
- Live off the land: find weapons and armor, cook food, and brew elixirs
- Utilize special technology: the in-game Sheikah Slate controls, objects and enemies in fun ways
Breath of the Wild’s number has fewer documented scope details
The reported 61.2 km² figure is attributed to a community measurement, but the cited account does not settle every boundary or inclusion choice. In particular, it does not provide a fully matched accounting of playable land, water and inaccessible terrain against Skyrim’s estimate. That uncertainty makes the figures useful for a broad comparison, not a precise apples-to-apples ranking.
Area is not the same as travel time or perceived scale
A larger measured surface does not necessarily take longer to cross or feel larger during play. Routes, elevation, movement options, barriers and the distribution of landmarks all affect a journey. SkyrimMap reports one example of Riften-to-Solitude travel taking about 45–50 minutes at a run or around 2.5 hours walking under its described conditions; those are source-specific route observations, not universal completion-time benchmarks. Eurogamer’s feature on Skyrim’s perceived scale likewise describes how terrain and presentation can make a compact world feel much larger.
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Why Hyrule can feel especially continuous
Area is only one part of the comparison. In a 2017 interview, Breath of the Wild producer Eiji Aonuma said that feedback about Skyward Sword’s separated areas informed the goal of a vast world with connected spaces between landmarks. He described the aim this way: “So taking that on board, from the very start of Breath of the Wild, we wanted to, and set out, to create a world that wasn’t only vast, but where everything was connected. So you really could freely explore the world, without these barriers or gaps imposed.”
That design goal helps explain why connected exploration is a meaningful comparison alongside square kilometres. It does not establish that one game feels larger for every player, or that a larger map necessarily contains more content.
Rank #3
- Enhanced resolution, framerates, and load times optimized for Nintendo Switch 2.
- Explore a massive open-air version of Hyrule with complete freedom.
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Verdict
If “bigger” means the reported map-area estimates, Breath of the Wild wins: the cited community comparison gives Hyrule 61.2 km² against Skyrim’s 36.72 km². Treat the margin as approximate because the figures are unofficial and their measurement scopes are not fully standardized.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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![The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51xVZUUZ1hL._SL160_.jpg)
- Discover Hyrule as never before: by making your own path, choices, and consequences
- Ingenuity is the key to survival: find multiple solutions to tons of dynamic puzzles
- Surprises hide around every corner: scavenge weapons, armor, plants, animals, and more
- Live off the land: find weapons and armor, cook food, and brew elixirs
- Utilize special technology: the in-game Sheikah Slate controls objects and enemies in fun ways
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