Bethesda has released a new version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for Nintendo’s Switch 2, and in usual Bethesda fashion, it isn’t going well. Players report it suffers from major technical problems that make it almost impossible to justify playing.
The game requires approximately 53GB of storage space on Switch 2, three times larger than Skyrim Special Edition on PS5, which comes in at around 15–18GB. The PC version sits at roughly 12–15GB, and even additional modded content would struggle to break the 50GB barrier.
Most of the conversation about the Switch 2 Skyrim port has been around the input lag that makes combat and general gameplay feel unresponsive. Many users describe the controls as “terrible,” with noticeable delays between button presses and on-screen actions.
The port is locked to 30 frames per second with no option for 60FPS, which is an odd choice even for lower power hardware like the Switch 2 given the game first launched on PS3 and Xbox 360.
However, the standout moment for Switch 2 players is the fact the original Switch port could hit 60FPS without any of the input lag. Red Dead Redemption received a free Switch 2 update last week and runs at 60FPS despite launching near to Skyrim, which was 14 years ago.
It’s unclear as of yet why the file size is so big, but many factors such as poor texture compression and duplicated assets, as seen with Helldivers 2’s slim build, could be the culprit. However, in recent years, Bethesda has been adding significantly more Creation Club content to its games, and these community made mods have been shown to bloat otherwise lean installs.
Switch 2 players can’t go back to Switch 1 Skyrim
Adding to player frustration is the fate of the 2017 Switch version. That original port crashes frequently when run on Switch 2 hardware through backward compatibility. Switch 2 owners effectively need to purchase or download the new version for stable play rather than using their existing copy.
The Switch 2 reportedly uses an Nvidia T239 mobile processor with support for DLSS upscaling. The hardware is substantially more powerful than the original Switch, making the 30FPS cap and input lag completely baffling.
Another Todd Howard special
Skyrim has been released on nearly every gaming platform since 2011. The game appeared on Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series consoles, with a VR version to boot. Each release brought varying levels of technical polish, and in many cases, the modding community had to step in to fix what Bethesda did not.
The PS3 version famously suffered from memory leaks that caused severe frame rate drops and crashes as save files grew larger, which took months to address. This Switch 2 version now joins that legacy with its own set of launch problems.
