I’m still reeling from the surprise release of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Not only because it’s quite possibly the worst title for a re-release I’ve ever seen, but also due to it literally coming out of nowhere with Nintendo posting the trailer and shadow dropping it on the eShop simultaneously.
Having played Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition for review last year, racking up more than 100 hours of gameplay and ticking off almost every activity the game had to offer, the Switch 2 upgrade admittedly doesn’t offer much for me. Like Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild, it is a basic upgrade that allows the game to hit a 4K resolution (depending on your console’s settings and TV’s capabilities) at up to 60fps.
That being said, I downloaded the upgrade to my Switch 2 almost immediately, deeply curious to see how the mind-boggling scale of Xenoblade Chronicles X would handle this performance touch-up. The results maybe aren’t quite as breathtaking as the aforementioned Zelda duology (the image quality certainly isn’t quite as crisp), but the higher frame rate makes a world of difference in busier environments and during combat.
I’m definitely happy Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is now, well, even more definitive on Switch 2 for those who chose to wait for an upgrade before diving in. However, I’m now even more interested in what the future holds for developer Monolith Soft, especially now that this version of the game has provided something of a benchmark for future games or even other Xenoblade Chronicles trilogy ports.
Mira image
So as mentioned, the Switch 2 upgrade for Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition allows for 60fps gameplay, and resolutions up to 4K. And that’s it, as far as I’m aware, and as far as Nintendo has divulged. There are seemingly no extra quests or any content hidden away for returning players to find.
But that’s okay. I already had a deeply rewarding open-world RPG experience with the Switch version last year, and Switch 2 owners who’re yet to land on Mira are in for a real treat. Not only does the game hold that 60fps target, even in areas dense with foliage or while facing off against towering endgame bosses, the frame rate simply did not budge.
There are some elements that unfortunately haven’t been touched up. Menus still display at 30fps, for example, and I have noticed some instances of dynamic resolution in play – especially when flying over big sweeping landscapes aboard your Skell. There is still a noticeable amount of pop-in, too, which was very easy to spot in the hub city of New LA, and amidst the dense jungles of the Noctilum biome.
To be fair, that’s all stuff that was likely baked into the original Wii U release, to a degree. Many of those same issues, while slightly improved, were also present in the Switch version of Definitive Edition. So, there’s probably only so much Monolith Soft could achieve without rebuilding wholecloth sections of the game from the ground up.
Let’s show ’em an edition or three
The single best thing about this Switch 2 upgrade, at least in my view, is what it hints at for the future of the Xenoblade series or whatever big project Monolith Soft is cooking up next.
While it’s true that the developer has had a knack for punching well above its weight under Nintendo’s supervision (remember, a game as massive as Xenoblade Chronicles could run on both the Wii and New Nintendo 3DS), it’s still been held back by the company’s relatively limited hardware.
This largely ceases to be the case on Switch 2. The console’s specs are an impressive leap over the original Switch and as evidenced by the Switch 2 Edition of Xenoblade Chronicles X, Monolith Soft doesn’t seem to be constrained by underpowered hardware or custom mobile chipsets anymore.
I’m excited for whatever Monolith Soft has in store for its next big project, but I certainly would not say no to Switch 2 Editions of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Xenoblade Chronicles 3, especially.
These games have yet to receive the Definitive Edition treatment, and I think bundling them together with their expansions in an upscaled, performance-improved package would be a fantastic way to fill the void until the developer’s next big reveal.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2, especially, could use some work. This game has my favorite battle system in the series, but deeply frustrating aspects like field skills and the gacha-like method of unlocking characters meant I never had the patience for a full 100% completion rate.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3, meanwhile, improved greatly in terms of story (I’m still astounded by how crushingly bleak its world is), exploration, and side content, but its battle system felt like a step back overall. I wasn’t as keen on Ouroboros fusion or the Heroes system as much as I was with XC2’s elemental combos or ultra-satisfying chain attacks, for example.
Believe it or not, next year will be Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s fifth anniversary, so the time feels right for a brand new entry in the series. While I certainly won’t be upset if Monolith Soft chooses to focus on its new project over Switch 2 re-releases, I’ll nonetheless be there day one if it chooses to apply the Definitive Edition treatment across all remaining Xenoblade titles.
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