Hands On: ‘Xenoblade Chronicles’ On Switch 2 Is A Nice Improvement Over ‘X’
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition has launched on Nintendo Switch 2, delivering an upgraded port of the acclaimed 2015 action RPG with enhanced visuals and improved performance. However, early hands-on impressions reveal that the visual upgrades come with notable trade-offs.
According to Nintendo Life’s review, the Switch 2 version employs upscaling to achieve crisper visuals, but this technique has introduced visual artifacts affecting texture quality throughout the game. Environmental details and character models display a blurry, smeary appearance, particularly noticeable during gameplay movement when texture softening becomes more pronounced.
Reaction to the visual presentation has been mixed. While the Nintendo Life reviewer found the upscaling effects borderline problematic—describing themselves as not typically a graphics-focused player—other staff members and players have reported satisfaction with the Switch 2 presentation. This divergence in opinion suggests that subjective perception of the upscaling implementation varies considerably among different viewers.
The Definitive Edition represents another platform iteration in the franchise’s multi-platform journey, bringing the expansive JRPG to Nintendo’s newest hardware. Whether the visual enhancements offset the upscaling artifacts appears dependent on individual player preferences and graphics tolerance levels.