The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is making its way to Nintendo Switch 2 today. Even though the original Switch version of Skyrim has always been playable on Switch 2 via backwards compatibility, this is the fully Anniversary Edition running natively on Nintendo’s latest console.
If you already have the Switch version of Skyrim Anniversary Edition, then this is a free upgrade. And if you have Skyrim itself already, then upgrading to the Anniversary Edition is just a $20 fee. But if you don’t own Skyrim on Switch at all yet, then Skyrim Anniversary Edition on Switch 2 is a full $60.
Just like other versions of Skyrim Anniversary Edition, this will include all three official expansions (Hearthfire, Dragonborn, and Dawnguard) as well as hundreds of pieces of Creation Club content.
According to Bethesda, the Switch 2 version of Skyrim Anniversary Edition will include several enhancements over the base Switch version. Specifically, it should include enhanced resolution, improved load times, performance optimization, Joy-Con 2 mouse support, motion controls, Amiibo support, and more. Scanning Amiibos to get food and random items is a neat novelty for a game like this.
Details on exact resolution or performance specs were not provided, but better load times are definitely needed for this particular version of the 14-year-old game.
Just like the base Switch version, the Switch 2 edition includes Zelda-themed gear to find, like the Master Sword, Champion’s Tunic, and Hylian Shield.
The Creation Club content also includes hundreds of curated add-ons spanning new quests, weapons, spells, armor sets, dungeons, and gameplay systems designed to give returning players fresh ways to experience Skyrim’s open world—that includes things like fishing and survival mechanics.
Skyrim is widely regarded as one of the greatest video games of all time, earning over 200 game of the year awards when it was released way back in 2011. Bethesda’s follow-up, The Elder Scrolls VI, was then announced in 2018.
Notably, more time has passed between right now and the initial reveal of the next game than time passed between Skyrim’s release and the next game’s announcement. Needless to say, fans have been waiting for a long time.
With Switch 2 hardware now widely available and a busy holiday release slate underway, Skyrim’s arrival adds another major evergreen title to the platform’s growing library. However, it feels like something that should have been there when the console launched months ago. As great a game as Skyrim is, this news being revealed precisely when fans are eagerly awaiting news about The Elder Scrolls VI is very frustrating timing—unless a reveal regarding the new game is forthcoming this week.