Back when the original Nintendo Switch was revealed and nearing launch, one of the most mind blowing announcements for it ended up being Skyrim. This was in an era where Skyrim being ported to everything was not yet a meme, and an era where portables could at most hope to play games a couple of generations old with approximate accuracy. The idea of playing a still recent AAA game as expansive as Skyrim on a portable was truly thrilling.
Today, portables playing AAA games, Skyrim ports, and the Nintendo Switch are all commonplace, and so the true impact of that moment can often be lost on newer audiences. But Skyrim for the Switch helped legitimize both that burgeoning system at a time when it still wasn’t clear that there would be a sustainable market for it, and for the resurgence of portables as a whole. That the port was as impeccable as it was – for years it was among the most recommended versions of the game – only served to reinforce that further.
“Additionally, this version also includes mouse control support for the Switch 2’s Joycon controllers.”
In 2025, Skyrim on Switch 2 isn’t really anything special. It’s simply Skyrim, now with a native Switch 2 version. Theoretically this should be an easy win. At this point Skyrim is a several generations old game, the hardware in question is extremely capable, and the version Bethesda has chosen to port – the Anniversary Edition – is a great one. It comes along with the original base game, all its DLC and expansions, multiple quality of life improvements added to the game adapted from player created mods, multiple quests similarly added from the Creation Club. New additions like fishing and Survival Mode (which is honestly my favourite way to play Skyrim now), along with the Nintendo exclusive extras from the original Switch version, most notably the Zelda-themed gear, help round out the experience..
Additionally, this version also includes mouse control support for the Switch 2’s Joycon controllers. The game also looks and sounds great, with the visuals here being basically on par with the visuals for Anniversary Edition on any of the other platforms.
The icing on the cake is that Bethesda has made the upgrade available for free for existing owners of Skyrim Anniversary Edition on Switch. Given all of that, it’s honestly hard to imagine how one could possibly take issue with this package, but unfortunately, there are some critical missteps and omissions here that hold the package back.
“Bethesda is leveraging some of the Switch 2’s unique capabilities here — DLSS is being used to some degree; Bethesda only specifies its usage as being for anti aliasing, though I assume they’re also upscaling the resolution a little bit”
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Let’s start with the most obvious – this game still runs at 30fps on the Switch 2. This is a title that ran at 30fps on the Xbox 360 or the original Switch, both vastly inferior bits of hardware to the Switch 2; there should be nothing stopping a 60FPS implementation here, even only as an option. There is none. Skyrim, as I mentioned, was 30fps to begin with (unless you played on a PS3, in which case 30fps was the highest you could hope for if you were exceedingly lucky), so this isn’t a downgrade, but it absolutely does feel baffling that Bethesda missed out on such an obvious and immediate upgrade here. Again, at the very least you’d expect it as an option or a toggle, but nope.
The problem with the 30fps is exacerbated by the baffling, and I mean BAFFLING, degree of input lag the game has. In docked mode it can be almost comically obvious, with actions on screen taking a perceptible amount of time to execute after you press a button. It does feel slightly better in portable mode, but in either case, it’s unclear why or more importantly how, something like this passed QA and was allowed to release as is. Skyrim isn’t Elden Ring, so the input lag, while noticeable and bothersome, isn’t really disruptive in any sense; it does, however, make the game feel worse to play, particularly since the framerate is already 30fps to begin with.
Bethesda is leveraging some of the Switch 2’s unique capabilities here — DLSS is being used to some degree; Bethesda only specifies its usage as being for anti aliasing, though I assume they’re also upscaling the resolution a little bit. The aforementioned mouse controls are also implemented well, and it that’s a control scheme you enjoy playing with, you’re going to like it here too. Mercifully, given how much of a time investment the game can be, Bethesda have also allowed players to import their saves from the original Switch version of the game.
“I would definitely be a lot angrier at the missteps taken here if it weren’t for the fact that the upgrade is being offered for free for existing players.”
All the peripheral considerations aside, the game itself is still excellent. Skyrim is one of the most beloved and influential games of the modern era, and that’s because its core design is so innately compelling. It’s so easy to pick it up and get lost in its dense, layered, sprawling fantasy world again, and find yourself in adventures of discovery and exploration and intrigue. The fact that the game itself remains fun to play means it is still easy to recommend – well, mostly. There are those peripheral caveats that can’t really be dismissed or handwaved after all.
I would definitely be a lot angrier at the missteps taken here if it weren’t for the fact that the upgrade is being offered for free for existing players; however, for anyone who is looking to jump in now, these omissions and fumbles are fair warnings for them to consider and bear in mind. Skyrim on the Switch 2 is conflicted – it’s Skyrim, and on Switch 2, which is great, but this isn’t a particularly great version, and there are some very obvious fixes Bethesda can make here. Hopefully in the months to come, they will be patching those in.
This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch 2.
