Choose The Elder Scrolls® Online
Choose The Elder Scrolls® Online if you want the Online PvP, PvP, and HDR available side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 81.6% positive across 73,647 reviews.
The Elder Scrolls® Online vs Ilysia
The Elder Scrolls® Online and Ilysia both land in Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam. The Elder Scrolls® Online (2017) is 6 years older than Ilysia (2023). The Elder Scrolls® Online scores higher on Steam reviews (81.6% positive) than Ilysia (58.3% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Ilysia
Choose Ilysia if you want a Free To Play and Early Access game with Tracked Controller Support and VR Only. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Ilysia launched in 2023.
Both The Elder Scrolls® Online and Ilysia sit in Action, Adventure, and Massively Multiplayer on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 The Elder Scrolls® Online |  Ilysia | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 19.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 81.6% positive (73,647 reviews) | 58.3% positive (216 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | ZeniMax Online Studios | Team 21 Studio, Inc. |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- The Elder Scrolls® Online (2017) is 6 years older than Ilysia (2023).
- The Elder Scrolls® Online scores higher on Steam reviews (81.6% positive) than Ilysia (58.3% positive).
- Ilysia is free; The Elder Scrolls® Online is paid (19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: The Elder Scrolls® Online is Deck Verified, Ilysia is Deck Unsupported.
The Elder Scrolls® Online vs Ilysia — FAQ
- Which is better, The Elder Scrolls® Online or Ilysia?
- On Steam reviews The Elder Scrolls® Online scores higher (81.6% positive) than Ilysia (58.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Elder Scrolls® Online is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play The Elder Scrolls® Online or Ilysia first?
- If you want chronology, The Elder Scrolls® Online (2017) came out before Ilysia (2023). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are The Elder Scrolls® Online and Ilysia similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both The Elder Scrolls® Online and Ilysia have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: The Elder Scrolls® Online ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Ilysia ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Ilysia free?
- Yes — Ilysia is a free-to-play Steam title. The Elder Scrolls® Online is paid (19.99 USD).