Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Switch 2 Upgrade Boosts Performance

New analysis highlights major visual improvements and smoother gameplay, but lingering bugs and audio issues temper an otherwise impressive upgrade.

A new extensive technical research suggests that Nintendo's Switch 2 upgrade for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 improves graphics and speed. The improved edition has sharper graphics, better image stability, and a higher frame rate; however, players have reported issues that may require fixes. The Switch 2 features improved edge detail, stability, and texture quality compared to the first Switch. Landscapes and character models look sharper and more polished.

Pixel counts show the game is still displaying at 720p when docked, although the output is sharper than expected. To achieve 4K resolution, the game appears to use temporal or clever spatial upscaling rather than NVIDIA DLSS. While reconstruction methods are unknown, the visual benefits are clear.

Environmental gains go beyond resolution. Deeper depth of field effects and less blur are due to thicker, better grass. Bloom is reduced, ambient occlusion is localized, and one scene has modern lighting. As players travel the world, textures become more detailed faster, possibly due to better image processing and texture filtering. Even pre-rendered cutscenes look cleaner with higher bit rates.

Performance has improved greatly from the first edition.

The initial Nintendo Switch version of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 tried 30 fps but had frame dips during traversal and resource-intensive sections. Most games on Switch 2 aim for 60 FPS. However, greater frame rates cost. In areas with plenty of traversal, alpha-intensive effects, and cinematic moments, frames can be missed.

The game features double-buffer VSync, which slows frame delivery to 33 milliseconds if rendering takes longer than the frame budget, then resumes normally. Handheld mode is greatly improved. The game often dipped below 360p and employed a severe sharpening filter on Switch to compensate for its poor internal resolution.

Switch 2 has 1080p portable gameplay with better graphics and more stable edges. Internal rendering appears to be 468p pre-reconstruction, and portable mode targets 60 FPS with comparable frame dips as docked. Existing owners get great value. For $10, you may upgrade the original game to the Switch 2 for major visual and performance improvements.

The complete retail edition costs $70 for new gamers. The improved trilogy of Xenoblade Chronicles 1, 2, and 3 is an excellent way for beginners to learn the series before Xenoblade Chronicles X: Genesis, which tells a separate story.

Although the Switch 2 has great advancements, it has several technical issues.

Nintendo Everything reports indicate several player complaints. Audio mixing is a major complaint about the game. Combat music is quieter, and footstep sounds are louder than expected. Unless players adjust the audio volume, character shouts in combat drown out the music, creating an uneven listening experience.

An even worse issue for New Game Plus players. Some Switch 2 users allege the game prevents them from activating a third accessory slot for Drivers. A gamer on X noticed the problem first, and one community member thought it was caused by using appropriate amiibo rewards. The cause is unknown; however, affected players are encouraged to create a new user profile and not use New Game Plus saves until Nintendo publishes a fix.

Xenoblade Chronicles 1 Switch 2 Edition came with unpatched technical issues, making this worse. This has people wondering how quickly Nintendo would respond. Other development partners may be helping with the Switch 2 remasters, and fans hope the company can fix Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and 2 before focusing on the Switch 2 remake of 3.

The Switch 2 Edition of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has better graphics, smoother gameplay, and improvements in docked and portable modes. Unfortunately, audio balancing issues and other issues prevent it from being the definitive version many fans expected.