Xenoblade Chronicles X now has an official Nintendo Switch 2 edition, which was just shadow dropped on the eShop. Moreover, this latest definitive version of the hit Wii U game will even get a physical Switch 2 release come spring 2026.
Originally launched on the Wii U in 2015, Xenoblade Chronicles X has long enjoyed the reputation as one of the standout titles in the console’s library. OpenCritic’s database has 76 professional reviews of the open-world RPG on record, with an average score of 84 and an 88% recommendation rate. This makes Xenoblade Chronicles X one of the highest-rated Wii U games of all time, placing it 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.
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Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Gets Surprise Switch 2 Upgrade
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition received a surprise Switch 2 revision earlier today, February 19, when Nintendo shadow dropped it on the eShop. The update was accompanied by a new trailer highlighting two upgrades: enhanced 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 buy the upgrade for $4.99, while newcomers can purchase the full Switch 2 Edition digitally for $64.99.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
The Switch 2 version of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is currently only available via the eShop. However, a physical release is also in the works, scheduled to release on April 16, 2026. Nintendo has not explained the staggered 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 typically appear in the inventory systems of licensed regional distributors weeks before their street date. Although those systems are not public, notable details frequently surface through major retailers. Similar leaks have occurred beyond software releases; for example, some Switch 2 storage specifications were leaked by a GameStop employee inferring them from unannounced product SKUs months before the console became available and a full week before its formal announcement in early 2025.
Online reactions to the newly launched upgrade appear to be a mixed bag. Looking at YouTube comments, many of the top responses posted under Nintendo of America’s version of the trailer are positive, with fans welcoming the chance to re-experience the game with improved performance and asking for Nintendo to give the rest of the series the same upgrade treatment. However, there is also no shortage of opinions arguing that a revision of this nature should have been free for existing owners.
Since Nintendo’s latest 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 bundled with new content. The exceptions that do exist, like the Switch 2 editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, have been criticized by fans for paywalling resolution and frame rate boosts. It is unclear when Nintendo made the decision to charge for the upgrade. However, the Switch 2 edition of Xenoblade Chronicles X was in the works for at least one year, as references to a 60fps mode were data-mined from the game’s files in early 2025.
Nintendo did not clarify whether the Switch 2 version of the RPG runs at a stable 60 frames per second. However, the Switch 1 port of Xenoblade Chronicles X delivered a largely stable 30fps and was praised for addressing the original’s technical issues. Given the Switch 2’s significantly stronger hardware, improved performance appears likely.
- Released
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March 20, 2025
- ESRB
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Teen // Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op
