A short while ago, Bethesda has made the official announcement that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is now available for the Nintendo Switch 2. Indeed, you have read correctly. The endless title has already claimed the new Switch 2 console letting you to slay dragons in the portable mode of Nintendo 2 hardware. Nonetheless, the merriment from the official Twitter account of Elder Scrolls was not only rejoiced but also faced a mixed response.
The main headline can be simply stated as: Skyrim is released for Switch 2. Immediately, you can get it by buying it. However, the online reaction from players was a huge wave of complaints and grievances aimed at one thing in particular: the game reportedly runs at a maximum of 30 frames per second. Given that the game was first released in 2011 and now is on a powerful new console, many players are either perplexed or simply laughing.
‘30 fps for a 14-year-old game that has already been remade 9 years ago. Good job, guys!’ complained Bram V, a player who very rightly tapped into the general feeling of other players. Another player, Dan Gleesac, just wrote, ‘At 30fps in 2025 😂’. The disbelief is unmistakable. In a period where 60 fps is the normal expectation, particularly for ports from last-generation consoles, and the launch of a high-profile title like this one at half that rate feels like a huge drawback to tree-munchers.
The matter is not only about the frames per second. Some answers have given the technical details, saying that this is not even a proper 30 fps lock. The user “Chalk-One” responded to another comment, saying, “Actually, they uncapped the framerate to ease the input lag. It now runs between 30 and 35 fps in a 60hz container during normal gameplay, so it has judder issues.” Hence, it might be the very unstable, uncapped frame rate that is causing its own issues like stuttering, and some people are saying this is worse than just being on a solid, locked 30 fps. User “EBellumat” said the same thing, referring to the situation where the attempt to fix input lag created frame pacing problems, making the game “look laggier than at fixed 30fps.”
The performance issue is one point of criticism, but there are others that go beyond it. There is a large amount of sentiment that can be equated with exhaustion of the franchise. “It is funny how they always release Skyrim again 🤣,” commented RisingPhoenixTV. This reflects the classic meme but at the same time shows a real longing for something fresh. “It has been 14 long years, Release Elder Scrolls VI for godsake,” Marcelo Bassalo, the one who cries for help, is another example. Also, the fake player, Ike, who is joking about “The PS6 and Xbox Next Gen are gonna get Skyrim before we get Elder Scrolls 6.” Ouch! That might hurt Bethesda’s marketing.
The re-release has led to further speculation about other platforms. ‘Psvr2 version when? 🧐’ was the question from Marcelo Barbieri. ‘Port for PSVR2 or Quest 3! Pleaseeee,’ William P. was begging for it. Others expressed their desire for different games altogether, with Raymond Blackwell saying, ‘I wish Oblivion had a version on the Switch.’ And there were practical requests too, like one player asking for Brazilian Portuguese subtitles and another pointing out a specific crash bug when reading a book in-game.
Some players are simply puzzled by the technical side. ‘It’s hard to believe that you’re struggling to get 60fps for a 2011 game,’ wrote Cyrusnv2004. User Xathyr was even more blunt, accusing the developers of laziness: ‘Bruh, even mid-range smartphones can run Skyrim at a better performance than 30 fps… You guys just picked the Switch 1 version, emulated it on Switch 2 and call it a day.’
Amid the flood of criticisms, a few voices of… well, not exactly defense, but acceptance, could be heard. ‘Ok I’m buying it for the 1034th time,’ the game’s pull was still undeniable for some, joked Bev. And a few were initially optimistic about the uncapped frame rate before finding out it caused other issues.
So what’s the deal here? Skyrim on Switch 2 is a thing that exists. It’s the ultimate portable fantasy RPG experience, technically. But Bethesda and the porting team have ambled into a hornet’s nest of modern gamer expectations. In 2025, a straight port of a 14-year-old game running at 30 fps—and maybe a shaky 30 fps at that—just doesn’t do it anymore.
