Today, I’m adding more games to the list of games that have seen improvements when played on Nintendo Switch 2. Let’s have a look!

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Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

Genre: JRPG

Players: 1

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Review:

When Nintendo first unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2 and revealed its concept for Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades, one game that many looked at as desperately in need of such an upgrade was Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Artistically gorgeous, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 sadly suffers from numerous graphics and performance issues, and overall presents numerous opportunities for improvement. As such, when Nintendo revealed that every single game in the Xenoblade franchise would receive a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition in 2026, it was Xenoblade Chronicles 2 that many eagerly awaited the release of

As a reminder, in my original review, the graphical issues I noted this game having included some extremely noticeable pop-in, ugly aliasing, an overall low resolution (720p docked, dynamic 540p in handheld mode), and framerates that top out at 30FPS and can get as low as 20FPS at times, with brief moments of sizable slowdown.

So, just how much does this Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade ($10 for those who own the original game) improve things?

Well, I’m happy to say that the news is mostly good, with a few caveats. Nintendo boasts that this release improves the game’s resolution to 4K in docked mode and 1080p in handheld mode, and apparently this is a bit of a fib, as it improved the UI interface elements and menus to those resolutions, but otherwise appears to improve the game’s resolution through DLSS upscaling, and not to the full 4K/1080p. However, even with these improvements not quite living up to the claims, this is still a huge improvement to the visuals of this game, making Xenoblade Chronicles 2 look far less like you’re seeing everything through a vaseline filter.

The framerates, meanwhile, get a boost to a mostly-stable 60FPS, and this is immediately noticeable, making everything flow so much more smoothly. This is a wonderful improvement, full-stop.

For the other complaints I had about visuals, I’m sorry to say that the pop-in is just as present and noticeable here, but thankfully the aliasing isn’t. Overall, the visuals aren’t improved across the board, but it’s still a massive improvement that makes this version of the game much better and much more playable than the original Nintendo Switch release.

This release also adds in a few subtle quality-of-life improvements too. You can now use “field skills” without swapping out your equipped Blades, and the mechanic for gathering materials from the environment works much more quickly now. This game still has plenty of quirks and frustrations, but at least some improvement has been made to improve things here.

There’s also some added content in this release too. First and foremost, a new Blade character has been added, Momo from the Xenosaga franchise (who as an interesting point of trivia is voiced by the character’s original UK voice actress), who has two forms and comes with her own accompanying quest. There’s also new Amiibo-scanning added in, which is the most straightforward way to unlock new outfits for Pyra and Mythra. However, players not wanting to buy Amiibo figurines can also unlock these outfits by playing the new Action-focused Merc Assault mode, which becomes available in chapter 3 of the game.

Additionally, buying the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will also unlock improved visuals and performance for Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna on Nintendo Switch 2 as well, regardless of whether you got it as DLC for Xenoblade Chronicles 2, or as its own standalone release.

Finally, I should mention loading times, which have also gotten an improvement here. On Nintendo Switch, it took me 1 minute 9 seconds to load to the main menu, 36 seconds to load a game save, and 13 seconds to fast-travel. Meanwhile, on the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the game, it only took me 18 seconds, 12 seconds, and 7 seconds, respectively.

There’s a decent amount of extra content and features here, but I think the main draw here for most players will simply be playing this game at a resolution and framerate that won’t make your eyes water. In that respect, I don’t think this release is going to be everything you ever wanted from a Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, but it’s still very significant, and makes for a much more playable and more enjoyable game overall.

If you were interested in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but bounced off because of its poor performance on Nintendo Switch, or never tried it in the first place due to the complaints, now is the perfect time to jump in. This version of the game may not be perfect, but it is leaps and bounds better than the Nintendo Switch version of the game, and absolutely worth giving another shot.

tl;dr – Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a JRPG that, much like its predecessor, is massive in its scope and ambitions. This game features a sprawling, beautiful world of countries built atop massive dragon-like titans floating in a sea of clouds. The world here is awe-inspiring and imaginative, the story and characters are compelling, and the gameplay is deep and rewarding… as long as you can get past the many, many flaws dragging down the experience, including a terrible opening and sorely lacking tutorials, though thankfully the presentation is no longer one of those flaws on Nintendo Switch 2 – this release is a huge improvement over the original, and I think fans of JRPGs who passed on this game on Nintendo Switch due to the graphics and performance should absolutely give it a second chance on Nintendo Switch 2.

Grade: A-

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Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country

Genre: JRPG

Players: 1

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Review:

When Nintendo revealed that the entire Xenoblade trilogy would be receiving Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades in 2026, more observant fans of the franchise asked the next obvious question: What about Torna? Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna is kinda’ in an awkward position, since it was released both as an expansion to Xenoblade Chronicles 2, as well as a release as a standalone game, separate from Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

Well, Nintendo has opted to not only make things easy for players, but do so in a way that one might even call generous: even though Torna hasn’t technically received a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of its own, players who purchase the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade for $10 will also receive a free Nintendo Switch 2 patch for Torna, regardless of whether they got it as an upgrade or a standalone. This release doesn’t provide any of the extra content of the Xenoblade Nintendo Switch 2 Edition releases, but it still gives this game a nice performance boost in line with what Xenoblade Chronicles 2 received.

Nintendo claims this is a boost to 4K resolution in docked mode and 1080p in handheld mode, though the truth is a bit less straightforward, with those numbers accurately describing menus and the UI, but with the rest of the game’s visuals apparently upscaled using DLSS. However, even if it doesn’t quite live up to Nintendo’s claims, it’s still a massive improvement, and one that makes the game so much cleaner to look at. Likewise, you see the framerates boosted to a much smoother 60FPS, which is also a huge improvement. And while things like pop-in are still much the same, the increased resolution makes the aliasing far less prominent here. Overall, this game looks massively better on Nintendo Switch 2, a huge improvement.

And while Torna doesn’t benefit from Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s expanded content, it does get one other benefit, with improved loading times. On Nintendo Switch, it took me 19 seconds to load the game to the title screen, another 20 seconds to load a game save, and 5 seconds to fast travel. On Nintendo Switch 2, those times are cut down to 8 seconds, 10 seconds, and 4 seconds.

It’s honestly surprising that Nintendo didn’t advertise the improvements for Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna that come with the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade for Xenoblade Chronicles 2, because it’s basically like getting two massive upgrades with one purchase. Torna’s upgrade may not have the added content that came with Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but the star in both upgrades is the improved visuals and performance, and in that regard Torna’s upgrade is every bit as impressive. Honestly, I would recommend getting Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s Nintendo Switch 2 Edition even if you only own Torna, it’s such a big improvement. Though… why would you only own Torna? Both games are excellent, and Torna still spoils plot points of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, so you should get that game first. In any case, Nintendo Switch 2 is absolutely the place you want to play both games.

tl;dr – Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna, sold both as an expansion to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and as a separate, self-contained game, is a prequel to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 set hundreds of years before the events of that game. You probably shouldn’t play this game without playing Xenoblade Chronicles 2 first though – you won’t get as much of an impact from the plot of this game, and you’ll spoil the story of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Plus, the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 also gives you the upgrade to Torna, and the improvement here is just as massive, albeit without any extra content this time. Still, this is an outstanding JRPG, and one that is much-improved on Nintendo Switch 2.

Grade: B+

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I hope you enjoyed this latest batch of Nintendo Switch 2 Difference Mini-Reviews, and found them to be helpful! Want to see all Nintendo Switch 2 Difference comparisons? Check out this page for links to every article where I’ve included these comparisons!

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