Xenoblade Chronicles X is finally making its way to the Nintendo Switch after years of requests from hardcore fans. Coming up on the tenth anniversary of its initial release, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition finally frees the game from being exclusively available on the low-selling Wii U and brings it to a much wider audience on the Switch. With its release, fans of the Xenoblade Chronicles franchise can now finally experience the entire series on one system and enjoy another top-tier gaming experience from Monolith Soft.
Beyond finally answering a long-standing fan request by even releasing on the Nintendo Switch, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition will also serve as one of Nintendo’s last hurrahs on the system before the incoming release of the Nintendo Switch 2. Between this, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Nintendo will have a few big games in store for the current console before its long-awaited next-generation system finally arrives. Interestingly, though, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition may actually be offering a hint at something the Nintendo Switch 2 will be capable of when it finally releases.
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Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition May Be Future Proof For The Switch 2
Xenoblade Chronicles X May Hide A 60 FPS Mode In Its Files
In the wake of the game’s recent release, a modder known as masagratordev unearthed that Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition has a hidden 60 frames-per-second (FPS) mode within its coding. This may come as a surprise to most players, as the game targets 30 FPS on the Switch, and previous first-party Nintendo Switch games didn’t include some sort of performance mode. This modder has also noted that trying to activate the 60 FPS mode on a Nintendo Switch causes strange issues with the game, as players would only get 30 usable frames anyway even if the mode is enabled.
The presence of such a feature may be indicative of the direction Nintendo is heading in with the Nintendo Switch 2, specifically with its backward-compatible games. It’s been previously reiterated by Nintendo that current-generation Switch games will be backward-compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2, and given that this system will almost unquestionably be more powerful than the current Switch, it’s reasonable to expect games to play a bit better on it. With that in mind, the presence of a performance mode in this game indicates that perhaps other backward-compatible Switch titles will receive major upgrades on the Switch 2.
Xenoblade X’s 60 FPS Mode Is Great News For New And Old Switch Games
This theory goes hand-in-hand with some previous reports regarding the Switch 2, as rumors previously indicated that Nintendo demonstrated a Switch 2 prototype at Gamescom 2023 that showed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild running on it. Seemingly, this prototype was running the game at 4K resolution and 60 FPS, a resolution and frame-rate count the original game was not capable of running at. Of course, it’s hard to tell if this will be a full-priced remaster or a next-generation upgrade, but it adds to the idea that previous-generation games will play better on the Switch 2.
To wit, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition’s supposed 60 FPS mode rub off on Pokemon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. While both titles are currently set to release in 2024, neither one has a proper release date so it’s unclear whether these titles will be out while the Switch 2 is making the rounds (though Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s late-year release indicates that it will be). Thus, Nintendo may be taking its time to future-proof some of its final Switch games to be even better on the Switch 2.
It’s been previously reiterated by Nintendo that current-generation Switch games will be backward-compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2, and given that this system will almost unquestionably be more powerful than the current Switch, it’s reasonable to expect games to play a bit better on it.
Xenoblade Chronicles X Would Finally Quiet A Recent Nintendo Concern
If the Switch 2 can offer performance modes on first-party games, it would also serve as a huge improvement over what the current Switch offers. While many of the Switch’s late-life titles have been great, high-quality games, several Nintendo Switch titles have attracted controversy for their gameplay performance and tendency to target 30 FPS on games. The publisher may finally be addressing this problem with future games, and it may be using Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition as its guinea pig to do so.
Of course, this rumor should be taken with a grain of salt, as Nintendo still hasn’t done its full Nintendo Switch 2 Direct and is taking its time to reveal this information. Still, with Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition seemingly offering a 60 FPS mode, this could be a sign of things to come with the Switch 2’s backward-compatible titles and perhaps even its future ones. While gamers will have to wait a little longer to see if this comes to pass, this new Xenoblade re-release may point to a very bright future for Nintendo’s upcoming console.
- 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