by Xenoblade Chronicles 2 didn't quite hit its marks on the original Nintendo Switch, with its open-world ambitions often hindered by poor image quality and consistent frame-rate drops below even its 30fps target. For years, these technical shortcomings remained unaddressed, but Monolith Soft has finally breathed new life into the title with a dedicated Switch 2 Edition.Nintendo makes bold claims for this release, claiming the game hits 4K60 performance in docked mode and 1080p60 for handheld play.
The most immediate improvement is a noticeable leap in overall image quality. When compared to the original Switch 1 outing - which struggled to resolve a clean, coherent image - the new edition offers significantly enhanced edge detail and stability, improved texture detail and less artefacting.
The bulk of the visual improvements here seem to come from temporal upscaling - which is obvious from the Switch 2 Edition's 720p internal resolution and jittery behaviour on camera cuts. But edges have a subtle sharpness - and in-surface details a certain subtle softness - that makes me wonder if a smart spatial upscaler is being used, as was apparent in the Xenoblade Chronicles X Switch 2 Edition. These two techniques would work in concert then to address the game's 4K output - though Xenoblade Chronicles 2 still doesn't deliver true 4K clarity.
Alternatively, it's possible that the game is using an upscaler we haven't seen before - something of Monolith Soft's invention that follows in the footsteps of their work on Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Without direct confirmation from the developer, it's hard to say.
Beyond pure image quality, Monolith Soft has implemented several subtle aesthetic tweaks. Grass appears to be more liberally placed and depth-of-field effects are noticeably less blurry. Lighting is tweaked, with reduced bloom and more localised ambient occlusion, while pre-rendered video sequences now boast a higher bitrate.
Performance marks another massive upgrade over the original release. Where the Switch 1 version often struggled to maintain 30fps - frequently dipping into the 20s during traversal or cutscenes - the Switch 2 Edition targets 60fps. While not perfect, with minor frame drops occurring during alpha-heavy cutscene moments or traversal, the overall experience is much smoother, creating a more responsive and enjoyable gameplay loop. The game seems to use double buffer v-sync, causing frame-rates to dive to 30fps if a succession of frames go over budget.
The transformation is perhaps even more dramatic in handheld mode. The original Switch experience was frequently marred by low resolutions, sometimes dropping to 368p, further exacerbated by aggressive sharpening filters. The Switch 2 version, however, provides a clean image that holds up well on a 1080p panel. Despite rendering internally at a lower resolution (around 468p), the combination of smart upscaling yields a handheld image that is sharper and cleaner than the original version was on a TV.
Handheld performance is also pretty good, hitting 60fps with some dips here and there. It's perceptually a bit smoother than the docked experience, which could speak to VRR use.
Ultimately, the Switch 2 Edition of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a successful Switch 2 upgrade and a safe purchase. It avoids the stability issues seen in titles like Xenoblade Chronicles X on the new hardware, offering a polished, high-quality experience that fixes almost all the original's technical gripes. While it may not perfectly max out the Switch 2's docked output, the balance Monolith Soft has struck between performance and visual fidelity makes this the definitive way to play this RPG.