Skyrim Anniversary Edition on Switch 2 Is a Bit of a Mess

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I was secretly hoping Bethesda wouldn’t release another problematic game this year. With so few days left, I wondered what they could even do. But sure enough, they’ve re-released The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, this time for the Nintendo Switch 2.

We’re talking about the Skyrim Anniversary Edition – essentially the fourth major release of the game, if you don’t include the VR or Collector’s versions. It’s been over 14 years since the original Skyrim came out on Xbox 360, PC, and PS3, and over seven years since the game’s director, Todd Howard, famously said they’d keep releasing it as long as people kept buying it.

Bethesda surprised everyone by releasing the Switch 2 version of Skyrim unexpectedly, similar to how they released the remastered version of Oblivion. For $60, players get the main game, all its expansions, a large number of Creation Club mods (some of which are quite good), and exclusive content based on The Legend of Zelda. While $60 is a steep price for a game like Skyrim in 2025, current Nintendo Switch owners will receive the upgrade to the new version for free.

Bethesda has made some visual enhancements for the Switch 2 version, though they’re relatively subtle. Textures and characters appear sharper, and some players are noticing a higher resolution when playing in handheld mode – now at 1080p instead of 720p. Loading times are also much quicker, though whether 17 seconds is fast enough is debatable. While these improvements are positive, it wouldn’t be surprising if issues emerge later, as is often the case with Bethesda games.

The game takes up a surprisingly large 53 GB of storage space, especially considering it’s around 25 GB on PC. To put that in perspective, even Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition – a more demanding game that some worried the platform couldn’t handle – is only about 60.6 GB. And while the game is just $10 more for new players, that’s a separate point.

Another major issue is that Skyrim Anniversary Edition only runs at 30 frames per second on the Switch 2. Despite promises of improved performance, it runs at the same speed as the original Switch version. This is comparable to the Special Edition on older consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One, though it’s still unclear if the Switch 2 version experiences the same performance drops. It’s surprising that Bethesda couldn’t get a game this old to run at 60 frames per second on the more powerful new hardware. Technical analysis also shows that the resolution boost using DLSS in handheld mode isn’t very effective and doesn’t make much of a difference.

The game is too expensive for newcomers, the download size is incredibly large compared to similar games, and it doesn’t run as well as you’d expect for a game this old. And unfortunately, that’s not all.

Several users have reported a noticeable delay between their actions and the Switch 2’s response. One Reddit user described it as nearly a full second of lag after each button press. Others agreed in the comments, with at least one person saying the delay made the game unplayable. This problem happens whether the Switch 2 is connected to a TV (docked) or used as a handheld. Interestingly, this issue also occurred in the original Switch, specifically when switching to a third-person perspective.

Okay, this upgrade situation for the Switch version is weird. I already own the physical cartridge, and I downloaded the Anniversary Edition stuff, but it turns out I can’t actually upgrade! Apparently, you have to not download the Anniversary Edition content beforehand. Instead, you have to launch the game with the cartridge inserted, then head to the in-game store. That’s when it should offer you the upgrade. Seriously, Bethesda managed to make a simple upgrade complicated! Oh, and to top it off, it’s a completely separate game on the Switch, so you have to uninstall the original version when you’re done. It’s a bit of a hassle, honestly.

So, if you’re thinking of getting Skyrim Anniversary Edition on the new Switch 2, there’s a bummer: mods aren’t working yet. Right now, you’re stuck with whatever extra content comes with the Creation Club – no adding in your own stuff, unfortunately.

Honestly, I’m not even surprised by this, considering Bethesda’s history. They released the Anniversary Edition of Fallout 4 which caused a lot of problems and effectively broke the game for many players. People, even those with carefully chosen mods, were forced to download the update, even if they didn’t want to buy the expensive Creations Bundle. While Bethesda did eventually release a patch to fix the crashes, they ignored player requests to stop with these updates, especially after the Next-Gen Update caused the exact same issues last year.

I love Skyrim, but honestly, it’s an older game and would need a lot of work to run well on the Switch 2. So, I’m a little confused why they’d even bother re-releasing the Anniversary Edition now?

Bethesda definitely knows people are noticing their frequent re-releases of Skyrim for a profit. In a recent interview, Creative Director Matt Carofano, who worked on the original game, even joked about how often they release it. He maintains it’s a fantastic game and they want to make it accessible to everyone with the best possible experience. However, charging a full $60 for only slightly better graphics feels like a rip-off – even worse than what you see with Red Dead Redemption.

Honestly, as a long-time fan, I’m starting to get really worried about Bethesda. The way Starfield launched and then barely got any updates all year, especially after that disappointing expansion, was already frustrating. And we’re still waiting for The Elder Scrolls 6 – it feels like forever since it was first announced! But now, seeing them struggle with simple updates and ports for their older games? It’s just baffling. It really feels like they aren’t prioritizing quality or showing much care for their fans, both new and those who’ve been with them for years. I’m hoping they can turn things around, but it’s hard not to be concerned right now.

Given recent issues, why should players expect future releases to be high quality? Will Starfield, if it ever comes to PS5, suffer from the same problems? Will the next expansion pack be an improvement over Shattered Space? The company has lost a lot of trust, and even its most ardent defenders are running out of patience.

I reluctantly have to agree with Howard – Skyrim remains incredibly popular, even now. Looking at Steam, Skyrim Special Edition actually has more players online at any given moment than any other Bethesda game, including Oblivion Remastered, Fallout 76, Fallout 4, and even Starfield. It makes sense for Bethesda to keep re-releasing it, because people keep buying it – which, frankly, feels like they’re prioritizing profit over innovation.

I’m struggling to even express how disappointed I am with this company. It’s moved past simply being shocking and frustrating, and I’m starting to feel numb. And honestly, I predict this will continue: Bethesda will likely surprise-release Starfield on the PS5 at The Game Awards, and it will be riddled with problems. That would complete a truly awful pattern heading into 2026.

Just so you know, the opinions in this article are the author’s own and don’t reflect the official stance of GamingBolt.

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2025-12-11 21:43