The gaming tech focused team at Digital Foundry have been examining Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and come away relatively impressed by what they have played compared to the game played on the original Nintendo Switch system. In their closing statement Digital Foundry says that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 on Nintendo Switch 2 offers “a polished, high-quality experience that fixes almost all the original’s technical gripes.” So that’s reason enough to invest in the upgrade. Here’s a few choice cuts from Digital Foundry:
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
