The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Anniversary Edition

The PC community's mind-blowing commitment to modding is something that Skyrim on consoles will never have, but if you just want to boot up your PlayStation and get lost in what is now a classic fantasy world, Skyrim Anniversary Edition is the best way to do it.

Honestly, if you're a fan of Skyrim, we reckon this is an upgrade that's worth grabbing and it's also worth pointing out that, although the full version is expensive, you can frequently catch the standard version of Skyrim on a deep discount during eShop sales and then upgrade that way. If you've never played the game before — and we 100% refuse to believe there's anyone who hasn't — this really is the best, most feature-rich, content-packed version of an RPG that, no matter how much we make fun of it, always completely sucks us right back into its world every single time we boot it up.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Anniversary Edition is one of those things that is simultaneously great and yet seems unnecessary.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is the definitive version of Skyrim. It's undeniable that it's highly recommended for any fan of dragons, sandbox games, and adventure. Even with some glaring flaws, it's an unmissable odyssey that became even more glorious on the Switch 2.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition comes to Nintendo Switch 2 with better performance and visuals befitting of an upgrade, but the performance isn't exactly up to par in all scenarios. There's a lack of 60 FPS support outside dungeons, and the upgrade path for physical owners of Skyrim can be cumbersome. Despite these setbacks, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is still fun and feels really good to play.

The Nintendo Switch 2 edition of Skyrim is flawed, consisting of several compromises to playability while trying to squeeze a more traditional console-like experience into the portable console. The visuals are great, but the performance is unacceptable for a game that was released in 2011. With that said, however, it's still Skyrim. The game we all fell in love with in 2011 is still as great as ever, with hundreds of hours of gameplay to dive into.

The Switch 2 version of Skyrim shows that the old dog can both look good and learn new tricks, as the graphical upgrades and Switch 2 exclusive controls do improve on the original Switch experience. However, it doesn’t make full use of the Switch 2’s capabilities on the performance end, as it has constant issues with unstable frametime and input lag, making it another port with wasted potential.

An epic fantasy ARPG that has retained its charm despite the passing years. Its arrival on Switch 2 coincides with an Anniversary version packed with tons of content and aesthetic improvements, which are nevertheless ruined by significant technical issues (input lag and frame rate drops above all) that should not be there, given the 30 fps limit. Also worth noting is the launch price, which is frankly too high for such an outdated product that has been given a lazy and makeshift update.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, released in 2011, is a generational game, and despite some aspects of the title that show their age (the combat system and bugs that the game carries over with each edition), Skyrim is still a giant in the RPG genre today. The open world boasts a living world where every NPC has a story, an anecdote to tell you, a mission to entrust you with, and lots of information that can be useful to you. It is the perfect example of how a game, even if dated, can still set the standard in the role-playing genre today.

Though it doesn't totally get away from its 2011 origins, Skyrim Anniversary Edition on Switch 2 is definitely a better-looking rendition of Bethesda's classic for the handheld. Sadly it's stuck to 30fps, and you'll be hoping for an update to improve the input lag, both of which bring those 14 years much closer than they should be.