Xenoblade Chronicles X now has an official Nintendo Switch 2 edition that was just a shadow on the eShop. Additionally, this latest definitive version of the hit Wii U game will get a physical Switch 2 release in Spring 2026.
Originally released on Wii U in 2015, Xenoblade Chronicles X has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the standout titles in the console's library. The OpenCritic database contains 76 professional reviews of open world RPGs with an average score of 84 and an 88% recommendation rate. That's what he does Xenoblade Chronicles X one of the highest rated Wii U games of all time, ranking 22nd out of 791 titles released on the console. A content-complete, “definitive edition” of the RPG was released in March 2025 to comparable acclaim.
Some Switch 1 owners are not happy with the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder
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Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is getting a Surprise Switch 2 upgrade
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition received a surprise Switch 2 review earlier today, February 19, when Nintendo shadow dropped it on the eShop. The update was accompanied by a new trailer highlighting two updates: improved resolution and improved frame rates. Specifically, the game now supports 4K resolution in Switch 2 docked mode and runs at up to 60 frames per second. Existing owners of the Switch 1 edition can purchase the upgrade for $4.99, while newcomers can purchase the full Switch 2 edition digitally for $64.99.
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Switch version 2 Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is currently only available through the eShop. However, a physical release is also in the works, scheduled for release on April 16, 2026. Nintendo didn't explain the rollout, but a simultaneous launch may have risked spoiling the surprise of the digital shadow drop. With few exceptions, high-profile Switch 2 titles with physical editions usually appear in the inventory systems of licensed regional distributors weeks before the release date. Although these systems are not public, significant details often emerge from large retailers. Similar leaks occurred after the software was released; for example, some Switch 2 storage specs were leaked by a GameStop employee who derived them from unannounced product SKUs months before the console was available and a full week before its formal announcement in early 2025.
Online reactions to the newly launched update seem to be mixed. Looking at the YouTube comments, many of the top reactions posted under the Nintendo of America trailer are positive, with fans welcoming the chance to relive the game with improved performance and asking Nintendo to give the rest of the series the same upgrades. However, there is no shortage of opinions that a revision of this nature should have been free for existing owners.
Since Nintendo's newest console hit the market in March 2025, many Switch 1 games that received Switch 2 performance upgrades offered them for free, provided they weren't part of a new content bundle. Exceptions which do exist, as does the Switch 2 edition The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdomwere criticized by fans for paywalling the resolution and increasing the frame rate. It's unclear when Nintendo decided to charge for the upgrade. However, the Switch 2 edition Xenoblade Chronicles X it has been in the works for at least a year, as references to the 60fps mode were mined from the game's files in early 2025.
Nintendo did not specify whether the Switch 2 version of the RPG runs at a stable 60 frames per second. Switch port 1 however Xenoblade Chronicles X it delivered a largely stable 30 frames per second and was praised for solving the technical problems of the original. Given the Switch 2's significantly more powerful hardware, better performance seems likely.
- Released
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March 20, 2025
- ESRB
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Teen // Animated blood, language, subtext themes, alcohol use, violence
- Publishers
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Nintendo
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op
