Skyrim launches Switch 2 Anniversary Edition — just when you thought Bethesda had run out of ways to re-release the RPG

Believe it or not, Bethesda has found another way to reintroduce Skyrim — again. With Nintendo’s next console on the horizon, a dedicated port for Switch 2 felt almost inevitable.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Anniversary Edition has quietly landed on Switch 2 following a surprise release from Bethesda. Owners of the Anniversary Edition on the original Switch can upgrade at no extra cost if they own the new console; players with the base edition can purchase an Anniversary upgrade.

This Switch 2 release includes the three major DLC packs — Dawnguard, Dragonborn, and Hearthfire — along with the Nintendo-exclusive items previously offered on Switch: the Master Sword, Champion’s Tunic, and Hylian Shield. Beyond cosmetics, the port brings the performance improvements you’d expect on newer hardware.

Compared with the original Switch build, the Switch 2 version offers faster load times, higher effective resolution, and generally smoother performance. Bethesda also notes there are “hundreds of unique Creation Club items” available, ranging from weapons and armor to new quests and dungeons.

Bethesda has not yet published a side-by-side comparison of the two Nintendo ports, but with the Switch 2 edition already released, those comparisons will likely appear soon.

After more than 14 years on the market, it’s almost amusing how many reissues and ports Skyrim continues to spawn, especially while details about The Elder Scrolls VI remain scarce. Still, Switch 2 owners have reason to be pleased — and Todd Howard might be smiling at how well Skyrim keeps finding new audiences.

Bethesda was told “Skyrim can’t survive going up against Call of Duty,” but Pete Hines believed the RPG could rival Modern Warfare 3: “They’re a big brand, but they’re not a better game.”