Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Switch 2 Edition’s File Size Raises the Bar for Upgrades

When it comes to Switch 2 upgrades, file size doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything specific about a game, but Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s upcoming Switch 2 edition is already pulling in some unprecedented numbers in that regard. According to Nintendo’s own numbers, the Switch 2 edition of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 estimates it at 45.8 GB, compared with just 13.2 GB for the original Switch release, meaning the upgrade adds more than twice as much data than the entire original Switch game required. That increase might not seem like much to write home about by itself, but when compared to other Nintendo Switch 2 upgrades, it’s actually one of the console’s largest, strictly from a file size perspective.

Of course, it’s worth mentioning that the increased size could come from higher-resolution assets, improved cutscenes, new content, or any number of technical changes, so they shouldn’t be treated as an automatic indicator of the game’s quality. Even so, Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s dramatic increase brings with it expectations that this particular Switch 2 upgrade will be far more than a basic resolution and frame-rate boost. Rather, if the upgraded version of one of Nintendo’s most popular JRPGs does, in fact, reflect the size of its download, it could raise the bar for what Nintendo’s Switch 2 Editions are capable of delivering.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Is Currently the Largest Among Switch 2 Upgrades

When examining Nintendo’s current lineup of Switch 2 Editions, Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s 32.6 GB increase is the largest of the bunch. It even edges out Xenoblade Chronicles 3, which gains 28.2 GB with its own upgrade, while most other Nintendo games fall well below those numbers. The comparison below makes it clear that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 isn’t merely receiving a larger-than-average upgrade, but from a file size perspective, it’s currently setting the standard that every other Switch 2 Edition now needs to consider moving forward.

What is particularly interesting about Nintendo’s history with Switch 2 upgrades is that, apart from Kirby and the Forgotten Land, all three Xenoblade Chronicles games have seen much larger increases in file size than any other game’s Switch 2 edition to date. And what’s perhaps even more worth mentioning is the fact that Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s Switch 2 edition boasts an even greater increase in file size than its successor, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, has with its own Switch 2 edition. Clearly, Monolith Soft appears to be giving Xenoblade Chronicles a much heavier asset overhaul than Nintendo’s typical Switch 2 upgrade, for one thing, but it also quietly raises the bar for upgrades on the console, even before it’s released.

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One could argue that the increased file size simply has to do with the size of the original game itself, particularly when it comes to Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s fairly sizable open world. However, both Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom boast larger worlds than Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and yet the increase is substantially greater.

Another argument might center around Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s age. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 launched in 2017, during the Switch’s first year, so it was built around the hardware’s limitations earlier than most other games receiving Switch 2 Editions. In other words, it has more obvious room for higher-resolution assets, sharper cutscenes, and other visual replacements than a newer release might. However, the numbers don’t show a clean relationship between age and upgrade size, particularly when comparing Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s file size increase to the third entry’s. If age is the defining factor, Xenoblade Chronicles 3‘s file size increase with its own Switch 2 edition shouldn’t be as substantial as it is, since it’s the newer title.

All of that said, there is clearly something unique about Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s Switch 2 edition, to the point where it’s realistic to expect a considerable upgrade in visuals, performance, and gameplay that players weren’t even treated to with upgrades games like Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, both of which have been praised for their renewed vigor on the Switch 2. It’s practically guaranteed to perform significantly better than the original game, but it could take things even further than what players have seen in any other Switch 2 upgrade to date.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s Switch 2 Edition Has Plenty in Store for New and Returning Players

Many of these upgrades and additions have already been confirmed by Monolith Soft, of course, but seeing them in action will be a different story entirely. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was already an ambitious game on the original Switch, but its image quality and performance often struggled to keep up with the scale of its environments, battles, and cutscenes. Between the jump to 4K and 60 FPS, the sharper presentation, and the new gameplay content being added, the Switch 2 Edition has a real opportunity to finally deliver the version of the game that the original hardware simply couldn’t fully support.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Switch 2 Edition Features

• 4K RESOLUTION in docked/TV mode.
• FULL HD RESOLUTION in handheld mode.
• 60 FPS performance across the board.
• SMOOTHER AND SHARPER CUTSCENES during gameplay.
• NEW RARE BLADE and a Blade quest to accompany it.
• NEW ACTION BATTLE MODE involving mercenary squad battles.
• NEW EQUIPMENT DESIGNS for Pyra and Mythra.

The thing is, none of these features guarantees that every one of Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s extra 32.6 GB will result in something players can immediately see or feel. But even so, the sheer difference between this edition and most other Switch 2 upgrades makes it difficult to view it as another routine technical refresh. Should Monolith Soft deliver on everything being promised, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 could become the example Nintendo points to when proving how much a Switch 2 Edition can genuinely improve an older game.

Systems

Released

December 1, 2017

ESRB

T For Teen due to Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

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