Xenoblade Chronicles has been one of Nintendo’s most significant JRPG series in recent years, but also at a scope pushing the original Switch hardware beyond its limits. So if you’ve been waiting for a better opportunity to experience these games, Nintendo has announced during the summer Nintendo Direct that all three mainline games will be receiving Nintendo Switch 2 editions. And the first game is out digitally today.
Originally released for Wii, the first Xenoblade Chronicles almost wasn’t released outside of Japan until a fan campaign convinced Nintendo to localise the game. Since then, it’s earned a reputation for being one of the best JRPGs, with epic storylines set on vast semi-open world environments.
While there was a free Switch 2 update for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 that improved its performance, the newly announced Switch 2 editions mean that all three mainline games will be getting enhanced visuals and performance, giving you the most definitive version of each game.
That doesn’t mean this is just for newcomers, since if you already bought these games on Switch, there’s also an upgrade path as with other Switch 2 edition releases. But for fans who have already put in hundreds of hours across Bionis, Alrest, and Mira, there are also exclusive new features to make revisiting worthwhile. That includes a new high-speed vehicle in the first game, new mercenary squad battles in the second game, and new wave-based challenges in the third game.
Fortunately, given the time sink these games are, Nintendo has wisely opted to spread these releases out. The Switch 2 edition of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is out digitally today, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is out digitally on July 30, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is out December 3.