Skyrim’s Troubled Switch 2 Port Just Got an Important Update
Bethesda has patched Skyrim‘s much-maligned Switch 2 port, but many players are still frustrated that the game’s framerate remains low. While the repeatedly re-released RPG has become almost universally beloved over its 15-year history, the novelty of it coming to yet another platform may be wearing off. Many fans are unhappy with the latest iteration of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, pointing out how such an old game should perform better on new hardware.
In early December, Skyrim shadow dropped on Switch 2, ensuring Nintendo’s newest console would have its own port of the game like the Switch before it. However, it didn’t take long for fans to recognize that the newer version wasn’t running as well as the Switch 1 edition, despite being several years newer and having the advantage of more powerful hardware. Thankfully, Bethesda was equally quick to respond to these complaints, but it looks like the patch doesn’t address one of the biggest issues people had with the port.
If you’ve jumped into Skyrim Switch 2 Edition and aren’t having a good time, you’re not alone
Skyrim’s latest port promised a next-gen experience, but feels unpolished, so you’re not alone if you’re on the frustration train.
Bethesda Patches Skyrim’s Input Lag on Switch 2, but Framerates are Still Low
On December 19, 10 days after releasing the troubled port, Bethesda announced it had patched Skyrim‘s latency issue on Switch 2. This was the most common complaint fans had about the version, with some saying the Switch 2 edition of Skyrim was “beyond playability,” thanks to lag as high as an entire second between input and in-game actions. Users on Twitter and Reddit now report that the game does indeed run a lot better after the patch, but many point out that framerates still struggle to get above 30FPS. Fans had already criticized the Skyrim Switch 2 port for only running at 30FPS when it first came out, so it may be disappointing to see that the game still hasn’t come up to modern standards in that regard.
Some users say they’ve noticed higher framerates after this latest patch but that these improvements are not consistent. Many of those reporting this also say it looks like Skyrim is running around 40FPS now, which would be noticeably higher than the 30FPS others still encounter but isn’t quite what many players had hoped. It’s worth pointing out that Cyberpunk 2077 runs between 30 and 40FPS on Switch 2 and is a much newer and more graphically demanding game. The fact that a 15-year-old title is just barely beating out the performance of a game as massive as Cyberpunk on the same console is frustrating to some.
Others had a more positive response to the patch, and the new port as a whole, but it remains something of a controversial topic. It may also sting that the Switch 2 version costs $59.99, while the same Anniversary Edition of Skyrim costs $49.99 on Steam, and the PC version almost certainly performs better despite being $10 cheaper. Still, anyone who already has the Switch 1 port can upgrade for free, so the price isn’t nearly as big of a sticking point for fans as the underwhelming performance.
It’s entirely possible that Bethesda could patch Skryim‘s Switch 2 edition down the road to improve its framerates further, but there’s no word from the studio yet if that’s in the works. Looking further, Bethesda says The Elder Scrolls 6 is progressing well, so hopefully the wait won’t be too much longer until fans learn more about it. Hopefully, after a 7-plus-year wait since its announcement, the new Elder Scrolls will have a warmer reception than the latest Skyrim port, but only time will tell.
- Released
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November 11, 2011
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
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Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
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Bethesda Softworks