Skyrim Noclip: How to Fly Through Walls and Explore Hidden Areas!

Skyrim, the sprawling open-world RPG from Bethesda, is renowned for its vast landscapes, intricate dungeons, and countless secrets. While the intended gameplay experience involves exploration on foot (or horseback), there’s a hidden world beyond the confines of the game’s geometry. This is where noclip comes in. Noclip, short for “no clipping,” allows you to bypass collision detection, effectively letting you walk or fly through walls, floors, and other solid objects. This can be used for a variety of purposes, from quickly traversing the map to discovering hidden areas and glitches.

This guide will provide detailed instructions on how to activate noclip in Skyrim, covering both the original PC version and the Special Edition. We’ll also explore the potential uses and benefits of noclip, as well as some important caveats and potential risks.

Understanding Noclip in Skyrim

Noclip is fundamentally a cheat, and it’s accessed through the game’s console command system. The console is a powerful tool that allows players to modify various aspects of the game, including character attributes, items, and even the game’s environment. However, it’s only available on the PC version of Skyrim. Console versions (PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch) do not have access to the console command system and therefore cannot use noclip.

When noclip is enabled, your character’s collision detection is disabled. This means that the game no longer prevents you from passing through solid objects. You can then move freely in any direction, including up and down, allowing you to essentially fly through the world.

How to Enable Noclip in Skyrim (PC)

The process for enabling noclip in Skyrim is relatively straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Open the Console: The first step is to open the game’s console. To do this, press the tilde key (~) on your keyboard. This key is usually located to the left of the number 1 key and above the Tab key. In some keyboard layouts, you may need to use the grave accent key (`) instead. Pressing the correct key will bring up a text input box at the bottom of the screen.
2. Enter the Noclip Command: Once the console is open, type the following command: tcl. This is short for “toggle collision.”
3. Press Enter: After typing the command, press the Enter key to execute it.
4. Move Around: You should now be able to move through walls and other solid objects. Use the standard movement keys (W, A, S, D) to move forward, left, backward, and right. To move up, press the spacebar. To move down, press the Ctrl key.
5. Disable Noclip: To disable noclip and restore collision detection, simply open the console again by pressing the tilde key (~) and type tcl again. Then, press Enter. Your character will now be subject to the normal rules of physics.

Important Notes:

• Case Sensitivity: Console commands in Skyrim are not case-sensitive. You can type tcl, TCL, or any combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, and the command will still work.
• Mods: Some mods may interfere with the console or with the noclip command. If you’re having trouble enabling noclip, try disabling any mods that might be causing conflicts.
• Special Edition: The process for enabling noclip is the same in both the original Skyrim and the Special Edition. The tcl command works in both versions.

Uses for Noclip in Skyrim

Noclip can be used for a variety of purposes in Skyrim, both for practical reasons and for pure fun. Here are some common uses:

• Fast Travel: Noclip can be used as a form of extremely fast travel. Instead of walking or riding a horse across the map, you can simply fly through the air to your destination. This can save a significant amount of time, especially when traveling long distances.
• Exploring Hidden Areas: Skyrim is full of hidden areas and secrets that are not easily accessible through normal gameplay. Noclip allows you to bypass the game’s intended paths and explore these areas, often revealing unique items, locations, or glitches.
• Getting Unstuck: Sometimes, your character can get stuck in the environment, unable to move or escape. Noclip provides a quick and easy way to get unstuck by allowing you to simply fly out of the trapped location.
• Debugging: Noclip can be useful for debugging mods or identifying issues with the game’s environment. By flying through walls and other objects, you can quickly identify areas where the geometry is incorrect or where there are other problems.
• Creating Screenshots and Videos: Noclip allows you to position your camera in unique and interesting locations, which can be useful for creating screenshots or videos. You can fly to high vantage points or explore hidden areas to capture stunning visuals.
• Speedrunning: While often frowned upon in official speedrunning communities, noclip can dramatically reduce the time to complete the game. It allows for direct paths to quest objectives.

Potential Problems and Caveats

While noclip can be a useful and fun tool, it’s important to be aware of the potential problems and caveats associated with its use:

• Breaking Quests: Using noclip to bypass certain areas or events in a quest can sometimes break the questline, preventing you from completing it. This is because the game may not register that you’ve completed a certain objective if you skipped a necessary trigger or event.
• Falling Through the World: If you’re not careful, you can easily fall through the world while using noclip. This can lead to your character becoming trapped in an endless void, requiring you to load a previous save.
• Glitches and Errors: Exploring areas outside of the game’s intended boundaries can sometimes lead to glitches or errors. This is because these areas may not be fully rendered or may contain incomplete or broken assets.
• Loss of Immersion: Using noclip can break the immersion of the game, making it feel less realistic and engaging. This is because you’re essentially bypassing the game’s intended challenges and limitations.
• Save Corruption: Although rare, there’s a slight risk of save corruption when using console commands, including noclip. It’s always a good idea to back up your save files before using any console commands.
• Potential Conflicts with Mods: As mentioned earlier, some mods may conflict with the console or with the noclip command. If you’re experiencing issues, try disabling any mods that might be causing problems.

Tips for Using Noclip Effectively

Here are some tips for using noclip effectively and minimizing the risk of problems:

• Save Frequently: Save your game frequently, especially before and after using noclip. This will allow you to easily revert to a previous state if something goes wrong.
• Use Caution: Be careful when exploring areas outside of the game’s intended boundaries. These areas may contain incomplete or broken assets, which can lead to glitches or errors.
• Be Aware of Quest Triggers: Avoid using noclip to bypass important quest triggers or events. This can break the questline and prevent you from completing it.
• Use the Console Sparingly: While the console is a powerful tool, it’s best to use it sparingly. Overusing console commands can lead to instability or save corruption.
• Research Commands: Before using any console command, make sure you understand what it does and what the potential consequences are. There are many online resources that provide information about Skyrim console commands.
• Experiment, but Wisely: Noclip can lead to fun discoveries, but don’t be surprised when the game acts weirdly in areas the developers never intended you to visit.

Specific Noclip Examples and Locations to Explore

Here are a few specific examples of how you can use noclip to explore interesting areas in Skyrim:

• Underneath Whiterun: Enable noclip inside Whiterun and descend through the ground. You’ll find a surprising amount of detail underneath the city, including some rudimentary terrain and even partially modeled structures. This is a good example of areas that were never meant to be seen by players.
• Inside Mountains: Many mountains in Skyrim have incomplete interiors. Use noclip to fly inside them and discover hidden caves or interesting rock formations. Be warned that these areas are often very rough and unfinished.
• Solitude Blue Palace Secrets: The Blue Palace in Solitude has a very detailed basement area. While it’s partially accessible through normal gameplay, noclip will allow you to fully explore the entire basement, revealing more than you’d expect.
• Apocrypha Weirdness: The Apocrypha realm, featured in the Dragonborn DLC, is already quite surreal. Using noclip there can lead to even stranger discoveries, revealing unfinished structures and bizarre architectural oddities floating in the void.
• Blackreach Out-of-Bounds: Blackreach, the massive underground city, is a prime candidate for noclip exploration. You can find the boundaries of the playable area and see how the city connects (or doesn’t connect) to other parts of the game world.

Alternatives to Noclip

If you’re uncomfortable using noclip due to the potential risks, there are a few alternative ways to explore hidden areas in Skyrim:

• Mods: There are many mods available that add new areas to the game or modify existing areas in interesting ways. Some mods even add new forms of transportation, such as flying mounts, which can allow you to explore the world in new ways.
• Exploiting Glitches: Some players enjoy finding and exploiting glitches in the game to access hidden areas. This can be a fun and challenging way to explore the world, but it can also be unpredictable and may lead to unintended consequences.
• Detailed Exploration: Simply exploring the game world thoroughly can often lead to the discovery of hidden areas and secrets. Pay attention to your surroundings, look for clues, and don’t be afraid to stray off the beaten path.

Noclip and Modding

For modders, noclip is an invaluable tool. It allows you to:

• Inspect your modded interiors: Easily check if your walls are sealed correctly, if objects are placed as intended, and if lighting is working as expected.
• Troubleshoot collision issues: If your player character is getting stuck in your modded areas, noclip helps you pinpoint the collision meshes that are causing the problem.
• Find existing game assets: Noclip can let you see how Bethesda’s level designers constructed certain areas, providing inspiration or a better understanding of how to use the Creation Kit.
• Connect your modded areas: By using noclip, you can easily connect your modded areas to the existing Skyrim world seamlessly.

Conclusion

Noclip is a powerful and versatile tool that can enhance your Skyrim experience in many ways. Whether you’re using it to quickly traverse the map, explore hidden areas, or debug mods, it’s important to understand the potential risks and caveats associated with its use. By following the tips and guidelines in this guide, you can use noclip effectively and safely, and unlock a whole new level of exploration in the world of Skyrim. Remember to save often, use caution, and have fun exploring the hidden corners of Tamriel!

Now go forth, Dragonborn, and explore the hidden reaches of Skyrim! Just remember to save… frequently.

Disclaimer

This guide is intended for informational purposes only. The use of console commands and other cheats may have unintended consequences, including save corruption and game instability. Use these techniques at your own risk. Always back up your save files before using any console commands. The author is not responsible for any damage or loss resulting from the use of the information provided in this guide.