Early Tech Analysis Of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Reveals Frame Rate And Resolution

I wonder why they couldn’t keep the resolution up while docked. If that’s the biggest problem I think its gonna great.

So basically same as xb2

Sounds good to me. Game looks breathtaking. A true masterpiece.

Wasn't the Wii version 480p at all times?

Otherwise the game looks great (not my type of game though).

A max of 720p is pretty shocking for a game made in 2020. I know it’s the Switch which isn’t exactly the beefiest of consoles but surely it can’t be that hard to hit 1080p docked considering the Wii U could hit it in some games.

@nessisonett most games on Wii U are 720p, even the first party ones. The Zelda HD remakes are two of the few ones
that are in native 1080p.

Obviously, higher resolution would be nice. I'll take what I can get though, so long as the game is stable.

@cowntsikin Yeah, I know hahaha, that’s why I said some games. IIRC, Smash Wii U hit it as well.

@Retron It’s not surprising considering how beautiful the game looks.

@TheLightSpirit 480i or 480p is standard definition. So the game will run lower than standard in handheld sometimes

I have an mClassic to help boost the resolution when docked, but that's a shame about handheld. I'm sure it's playable, and I guess we don't know how often it will be that low, but yeah..

Was hoping somebody would show one of the last story bosses, coz that one was a fps nightmare with her and her minions constantly spamming magic, but I guess that would be very spoilery for a lot of people.
Fps dropped to like >5 fps or something it felt like, so I really wanted to see if that fight is playable now. Guess I'll have to find out for myself this weekend ^_^

Will be interesting to see videos of this game with overclocked Switch units, as handheld seems to be once again the big ">.<" of the tests.
XB2 was too blurry in handheld for my liking and just thinking about it has me tempted all over again to hack my Switch for that sweet overclocking.

@nessisonett Most of the game got reworked. They could have, definitely, but I guess they figured it wasn't enough of a visual upgrade. If it targeted 1080p chances are it's be a straight port of the Wii game — with the mechanical changes, of course.

@TheLightSpirit Yes you will. That's what xbc 2 hits as wells the Witcher 3. It's not unplayable, but it's definitely distracting. It's not so bad in small areas where the camera is close. Go to a field section and just say, "At least it's a good game"

378p - 540p... good god. Hopefully it has some really good AA.

3ds version was like 200p, so this is a big upgrade and is highest of all editions. Plus it's remade to be more modernized. And unlike the other versions, I don't see that popping in and out of resolutions. The other editions only had high rez textures on close objects.

If this one wasn't a beloved Nintendo exclusive, the headline to this article would probably be "Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition runs worse than Wii and 3DS versions - subtitle: definitive blurriness".

The "Performance Is 'Still An Issue' In The Switch Version Of The Wonderful 101 - lower than the original Wii U game by 10fps to 12fps" is here to prove my point.

@GrandScribe Heat. The that's the main limit with the switch. They probably could squeeze much juice out of both handheld and docked modes, but in handheld mode obviously you don't want playing it to be uncomfortable and docked you want a player to always be able to pick it up. The X1 chip in the thing is actually underclocked quite a bit just for this reason. Downside to the form factor I guess.

@Retron I have my copy in the closet so I can play it on Dolphin with the HD pack. Runs well on my PC.

Problem is, the faces still look like the original. No mod fixes that.

@Xansies I am hopeful with the Switch’s successor that they’re able to figure out a better design, maybe the dock could help and not just with cooling.

Meh. Played DQ11 for 100 hours in handheld mode which could get quite blurry at times and loved every moment of it. I just prefer laying on the couch playing handheld , only use TV for local multiplayer. Will happily take that convenience over graphics fidelity.

@GrandScribe It is a bit weird that there isn't a fan in the dock, but really they'd probably just use a different chipset that's cooler and more powerful. Eventually you get to a point like where the other consoles are where games from 2020 somehow run on a machine from 2012 in full hd (don't get me wrong, they use a lot of tricks to get that to happen). Mobile tech just isn't really there kinda. It is, but it's expensive.

@Agramonte Switch games typically (always?) have no AA, that's why they're so colorful. 100% serious.

@graysoncharles Except this one is way, way emptier and more horizontal than XBC2.

I'd prefer a standard HD port with untouched assets in this case, performance and resolution wouldn't take such a big hit.

All this Xenoblade talk is really making me wanna dust off my WiiU and get back into it. I was stuck looking for a bridge if I remember correctly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F24QHvQiqVA

Far better than the original that's for sure

While the handheld resolution isn't amazing at it's lowest this isn't exactly just a higher resolution port of the Wii version either it is improved visually in every way. Although the original is still pretty fantastic as far as huge environments go when no one was trying things that expensive on the Wii.

@Agramonte The number of previews that say the game looks quite nice (Eurogamer in particular mentions that it is far cleaner than XC2) I think bodes well for the existence of decent post processing. EG quote below:

"Technically this feels like a big step up from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and while it's not blemish-free it certainly doesn't have the same fuzzy aesthetic that the 2017 game had - the draw distance is more generous, the textures more defined."

It'll probably be 720p 95% of the time when docked, which isn't great, but is fine considering the hardware.

It is annoying how Monolith seems to not care at all about the visual fidelity of their games when undocked, though, instead opting for lower GPU clock speeds and a longer battery life when the game is running, even if that means the game becomes a blurry mess while you're playing it.

378p in 2020, that’s a joke right ? I don’t have a tv so I can’t play decently ? Cancelling my preorder, I’ll buy it if they patch it. Seriously, even Witcher 3 does better...

And yet... 95% of these posters were happy playing 3DS games at 240p 3 years ago!

That's a shame, loved XC2 but the blurry, fuzzy handheld visuals made me turn to the TV for clarity (Usually play 90% of the time in handheld).
Apparently the expansion ran a lot better, so maybe it'll be closer to that...which reminds me, need to play that SOON!

@Minfinity Just looked up the mclassic and I'm sold, I need one of those.

@HardcoreDaBoss In Europe, it’s 576i or 576p, which makes this version look even worse..

So 576i or 576p for a game that was released 10 years and 2 console generations ago...

How come nobody cared about framerate or resolution until after the Nes and Snes era? I don't recall anyone asking how's the framerate on super mario world? Heck it didn't seem like these things were even being discussed until the first HD consoles arrived unless I missed something.

Meh i was never a tech kinda guy anyway. I'm like if a game is fun and something I'm interested in I'll play it! Never payed attention to the specs or power of any console.

@Zeldafan79 thats a bad approach...you should ask for highest effort possible for 60 bucks

Wait, so it's not 60fps? And the max output is only 720p?

@BlackenedHalo
Well yes obviously i should be cautious buying games for 60 dollars unless I'm sure it's a well made product but before all this talk of framerate and such you pretty much just tried your luck and hoped for the best. If the box art looked cool and it was a sequel to a game i already liked i didn't have much hesitation. Sometimes you get a winner and sometimes it's crushing dissapointment.

Depending on the developer and their track record though you can be pretty sure you're getting a good game. If it's from Nintendo, platinum games or Monolith soft for example rarely is there any doubt.

Not really an issue for me since Xenoblade 2 was exactly the same. This is basically Xenoblade 1 but with 2’s updated visuals.

Not a big deal for me. Supposedly Xenoblade 2 looked bad in handheld mode, but I played it for 80+ hours all in handheld mode and didn't see the problem.

The art style in this game is stunning, I’m not concerned about the resolution to be honest, it looks stunning compared to the Wii version and that’s good enough for me. For handheld... 3DS games are still fun and the resolution was far lower there!

I could care less. The game is a masterpiece andni will bought it even if it ran at 20fps

Wow surely we live in a generation where consoles games on tv should all be 1080p by now? This is poor

BUT I will be playing this handheld anyway on my switch lite so hopefully it still looks good, still a vast improvement from the wii visuals I suppose

@Yas on a handheld which we knew didn't have great graphics so we didn't moan and knew what to expect, but for a console game of 2020 to only be 720p is quite poor, the handheld resolution is understandable though

Xenoblade has and will forever look truly amazing!

If frame rate is an issue for gamers who fork out 50 quid for the game, then it's better to wait six months and get it with a discount.

Almost every Switch game goes through the frame rate test, docked and handheld. Like trying to get a quart into a pint pot. Then having got the frame rate, reviews try to justify why it's ok and doesn't effect the game, much.

Either make games that do run at the correct rate for the Switch or charge less for games that can't. Or wait for the elusive Pro.

If it's really true, it's such a shame. People can say all they want about "gameplay being more important than polygons", but it's unforgivable to release a game with such resolution drops in 2020! Ok, the XC2 was their first attempt, and they had 3 years at least to optimize an engine! With BotW running in Full HD I can't believe that the Switch can't handle higher resolution, it's a matter of optimization.

Ok, in docked it looks fine, but the handheld performance is pathetic. Basically it runs in a lower resolution that the original wii game sometimes.

It's ridiculous and it's a shame because these games are great!

🤷🏻‍♂️ Don’t really care about these figures. Just play the game if you enjoy it great

What I mean is that they shd have some respect for the fans. We all know that the game is great, but it's not ok to play the game 'despite its technical issues' in 2020. If you ask the full price for a 10 years old game - please, make sure it works fine.

@MrAsild so, you completely ignore that this is the lower end of the pole and most likely it will run in 540p 95% of the time in handheld?

@mangowuvvr69 probably that's why they implement a dynamic frame rate? So it runs without issues?

Now wait. Over 160 hours in XB2 now, and you're telling me that all this time it never exceeded the [approximate] Vita resolution on Switch's 720p screen??? And kept looking as clear as it does?

I mean, I've long deemed and called HD resolutions overrated, but now they come across as downright redundant...

378p is hilarious, why not just embrace the drops? It's not like this game requires, hmm actually I think it does have a few quicktime events in the battle system, chain attacks for one.

In that case why not just drop frame dropping and embrace the slowdown a la Sonic 06.

Even if only for a few exceptions the DE should not be lower res than Wii.

@AlienX probably the time when they need to drop the resolution, you will be so busy pushing buttons that you will have no time to sit back, relax and "enjoy" the resolution. Not sure why so many people start crying. If it's a no-go, then don't buy it. On top of that, it's a remaster in a new engine, so I don't think the comparison to the Wii performance is actually fair. It's like saying Link's Awakening need to have the exact same performance like the GB version, completely ignoring the new engine, music etc...

The resolution would be acceptable if it ran at 60fps.

@mazzel So in your opinion 378p on an 8th generation console is absolutely ok, right?

@mazzel ?? I wrote it was hilarious not sad.

I wanted at least a stable 1080/60 FPS experience, watching the gameplay footages. The graphics surely look beautiful, but I didn’t expected them to be that demanding. Guess I’ll wait for a “Switch 2” to play it.

@Northwind Good points. I also find some 3D (as in polygons, not the stereoscopic effect!) 3DS games unplayable now I've spent time with the Switch. But at the same time some 720p games can look better than 1080p games. Depends on the animations used, the effects applied, etc. I guess we'll only know when we've got the game in front of us. Can't really tell from a YouTube video!

XBC 2 looked good on the TV, but very blurry on the Switch. Does anyone know, which resolution that game run at?

I watched the youtube video on my 4k screen and it didn't look all that bad. Not even in handheld mode. Could be my screen is upscaling, vut it will do the same when I play the game, so. No, thought I would be way more dissapointed and that it would look way worse then in the teailers and it doesn't. Actually, it looks te same. So me happy!

Yeah I'll be passing on this.

There's better JRPG'S currently on the Switch that actually run better too.

That video actually started to hurt my eyes. That blurred background, I could barely tell what was going on.

I'll be honest. I'm done with Monolith games. They just don't interest me.

Part of the reason I struggled to get into XC2 is that it looked like a marked downgrade compared to XCX, which even on a 480p gamepad looked better than Switch's better screen. I wasn't going to get XC a fourth time just yet anyway, but this has cemented that mentality until Nintendo build a Switch that does it some justice. It IS still a absolutely fantastic game though to anyone who hasn't yet played it. Buy It.

@mangowuvvr69 tell me which handheld console, that can handle this kind of games, ever had a higher resolution? Again, the 378p will be temporarily and most likely very seldom.

@mazzel YS III is very similar to this game, exactly the same genre, combat is very similar too and YS III looks better imo.

It has no problems in handheld mode running this game.

And Honestly you can't tell me this game is more demanding than The Witcher 3, which runs at a solid 720p 30 FPS in handheld mode.

Monolith are bad developers. Their games are not more demanding than other games on the platform but yet, they all run like dog *****.

@mazzel
I judge by the fact that XC2 looked absolutely terrible in handheld mode (google for screenshots) and there doesn't seem to be any improvement compared to a 3 yr old game. Numbers don't lie, as the great Scott Steiner said.

I also judge by the fact that other nintendo first party titles are running in more-or-less stable 720p handheld and 1080p docked. Xenoblade is not a photorealistic game, so with examples of much better performance on the same hardware I come to a conclusion that it's possible to achieve better performance, it it was not done for some reason.

I know that numbers don't matter in general, but damn, when I played it in handheld it looked so ugly, that I decided to wait til I come back home to complete the game on my tv, instead of enjoying it anywhere as it was advertised.

@Razer actually, the resolution in docked mode is the same like Switcher, as Switcher runs 720p with dropping down to 504p due to the dynamic resolution, so exactly the same range like XC DE. As for handheld, Switcher runs in 540p, not 720p and has no dynamic resolution. That's why you also have frame drops in handheld. We can continue this discussion when XC actually arrived, because then we will see if dynamic resolution for handheld was a good idea or not. Until then, please don't spread false information when comparing Witcher to XC and let's wait for the final result!

@mangowuvvr69 I don't need to Google, I played the game and know what you are talking about. Just for me it was not a real breaker as my on the go sessions usually where only 1-2 hours long or for farming purpose while I was in bed. Sure, the game looks much better on TV, but it was far away from ugly in handheld mode and the performance was nice! I also want to tell you that we should wait for the final result instead of just looking at numbers. This is an I'll part of the whole internet community. Someone post something and every one takes it for granted just because it's on the internet. Let's talk again on Friday when we see the final result

@AlienX I understood "hilarious" as a negative point in your comment. So you can also cry (aka complain) without being sad

@Razer btw which JRPGs are you talking about? I'm always looking for a good JRPG! So far have Tails of..., DQ, FF10, FE, XC2, Battle Chasers, collection of Mana.
What else is good?

@Razer The Witcher 3 had many effects cut down, and it definitely looked muddier until they introduced the sharpen filter toggle along with the ablity to switch off anti-aliasing in a subsequent patch. (TAA is a terrible AA solution for many Switch games it seems.)

Unlike XC2, this seems to be running on an upgraded version of the Torna engine, which avoids the original smearing messthe base game had by runniong on a newer engine. XCDE seems to be running on a more updated version of that engine, that doesn't use traditional TAA to avoid the awful ghosting effects, as a lot of handheld screenshots show much better clarity when compared to XC2.

Lastly, those numbers aren't actual performance numbers, but the lowest bound it could go to avoid framerate hiccups. One thing that they never seem to bring up is how stable the game seems to be running accorind to people with hands-on copies. People also seem to forget the original Wii version also had massive frame drops, particularly at the prologue scenes, whereas all the side-by-side videos shown of that exact same scene are a smooth 30fps in the Definitive Edtion.

I'm surprised at the initial breakdown of the resolution / FPS beacuse it looks gorgeous. Regardless, it's going to be an enjoyable experience and certainly superior to the other versions available. Perhaps there will be a 4K trilogy to enjoy in another 10 years ^_^

@mazzel try YS III, it's so similar to Xenoblade. There's Octopath Traveler too, which is a classic JRPG, if you enjoyed the collection of Mana games, that'll be worth your time too.

But really, YS III is your go to if you're looking for good JRPG'S.

@nessisonett Thats a really superficial assessment. If it was that easy then of course they would be hitting 1080p. But complexity of geometry and volume and application of special effects differs between titles. This is an effects heavy open world game so of course there are going to sacrifices to facilitate that. Resources on console are fixed.

@Razer my bad, of course I have Octopath, too! I will have an eye on YSIII, it's on sale here regularly!

Usually i'd agree that fps and resolution aren't the most important thing and that gameplay is king. In this case though i suspect there are a lot of people who thoroughly enjoyed the original and maybe even played it portably on the 3DS too and were expecting this to be the ultimate version of the game. I was expecting that this was going to be an HD remaster, the fact it's still SD is a huge disappointment. I'm doing a lot of my gaming in 4K these days so 1080p is already a big drop down in quality.

@Razer how is YSIII similar to Xenoblade lol

also, not even in the same ball park, also, YSIII looks really bad, might have higher resolution but that game graphics are bland, really bland, so not sure i follow your problem of xenoblade graphics but to say that YSIII is better.

@mazzel It is a negative comment, but by replying to me you made it seem like I was begging/crying for a better game which was not the case.

Some of my favorite games have terrible performance after all.

Can we then call this Xenoblade Chronicle definitive edition a Remake in pixel art?

This news and the fact that it is sold at full price means "shelf" for me. I can still play the original at more or less same res on my WiiU

@mangowuvvr69 It’s not ok for me to play the game because you’re upset about the resolution?

@Faruko lol that's a matter of opinion.

Personally I think it looks MUCH better than Xenoblade.

Especially in handheld mode. There's just no comparison.

Gameplay wise they are not far off either.

Both have real time action combat instead of turn based.

Both follow traditional Japanese anime tropes.

In my opinion YS III is better, it runs better, looks better, plays about the same but the story is also better.

YS III trounces Xenoblade all day long in my opinion.

@AlienX you were crying for higher resolution. I mean the devs usually have two options when they develope for low power hardware: keep the resolution high and make the performance a mess or use dynamic frame rates to keep the performance high. Ok, three options: make the game ugly and empty so no power is needed.
The devs went with option 2.

It actually doesn't matter which option they choose, someone will always cry. Wrong platform for people who want everything (portability, power, cheap games, good games, good cheap games, cheap console bla bla bla). Criticism is ok, but it needs to be reasonable.

@arnoldlayne83 you can call it whatever you want. But it only shows that you have no idea what pixel art means. Or you just want to exaggerate to show how upset you are that the game looks better then on Wii and 3ds, but on paper it's not 4k (See, I can also exaggerate!)

Wow, people thought XC2 looked bad? I guess my eyes can't tell the difference. Sounds like I'll be getting this game!

@mazzel I very well know what is pixel art. And I very well see how Zelda Breath of the wild runs way better on the switch than on Wiiu, since I own a copy for both systems....

You can exaggerate whatever, Xenoblade is a lazy port at its best given those numbers

@arnoldlayne83 have you played the final product or would you mind lending me your glass ball? Beside the numbers, what's your opinion about the gameplay videos and the comparison to Wii?

@Kalmaro If you haven't ordered one yet, could you use my link here to get it? They have an ambassador program

http://w.zube.me/1cc040

But yeah, they do a pretty solid job of cleaning things up to 1080p (or 1440p if you have a supporting monitor). Some games won't see a massive difference, but games like CTR, XBC2, Spyro Reignited, and other 720p native or less looks much better. I used it for Astral Chain too (900p), and that extra bit of sharpness and AA was a lovely coat of frosting on the cake.

@Grot That's a really good point that people don't really bring up. Wasn't that the resolution for Yoshi's crafted word too? It still looks fantastic

If you people played Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and/or Torna and loved it, then this shouldn't be an issue.

The "issue" here is that the game uses the same engine as XBC2 and Torna and handles anti aliasing the same way.

I've seen alot of misinformed people thinking that it's "just a port of the Wii game" when it's really not.

These open world games on Switch aren't easy to optimize, on top of having that same open world playable in handheld mode without nuking the battery, so not sure why folks would demand perfection here.

@mazzel It's too bad a Secret of Mana fan can be so stubborn about a game that's not even out yet. Calling out the graphics on a 2020 title is as reasonable as it gets.

@AlienX I could just reply the same people are stubborn to call this game or the graphics ***** because of numbers but not waiting for the final product. So sad

@mazzel It's hilarious not sad.

Since the game isn't meant to be so graphically intensive... why complain about resolution?

@AlienX 🤷🏼‍♂️

From the screenshots it looks amazing. I don't really care about the specifications. I loved the Wii original despite how bad it looked even for a Wii title.

@arnoldlayne83 LAZY HAHAHAHA

Despite the fact it's all new models, upgraded HUD and menus and a new story? All you're considering is the numbers? Alright.

@TheLightSpirit To be fair, I only meant it in that there's a difference between not noticing and not caring. Like in xbc2 the only times it was distracting was in the larger field areas where it fell to like 240p before the patch, which is far below sd we grew up with. I remember getting 240p YouTube videos when smartphones were new and still going, you know, nevermind. It's just pretty distracting. Though honestly, when it does hit 540p on handheld, it's absolutely not a problem, especially on the lite.

@JuiceMan_V I think at this point people are demanding a better switch rather than perfection. I mean, at this point there could easily be a mobile device that hits hd in handheld on most things with some tricks and turning some features off. I mean, some people don't care about resolution and frame rate and more power to them. There's a level where it definitely bothers me and theres a lot switch games I would be interested in that I just won't get because they run badly.

@mazzel If you liked xbc 1 and 2 then you'd like this game. The issue is some people find low resolutions distracting. Right now choose your favorite video on YouTube and crank it down to 240p. It's watchable, but you know tis like watching it without glasses

@Xansies correct. People are acting like people are demanding 4k 60fps from the switch. As an advocate for better performance I am just looking for 1080p 60fps. Somehow though that gets twisted into being too demanding

As others have pointed out, the numbers are a range in the configuration. Doesn't necessarily mean it drops down to the lowest ranges all the time or at all. Heck, XC:DE runs on an improved XB2/Torna engine, and with those games at least, docked mode was a steady 720p according to Digital Foundry (with Torna having at least an improvement over XC2 in portable mode).

People compare this dynamic resolution to XCX's constant 720p in favor of the latter, yet fail to acknowledge that XCX not only lacks much of the graphical effects and improvements present since XC2, but the frame rate was also not consistent. It didn't have any AA unlike the Switch games either. If the Switch Xeno game didn't push with features not present in XCX, they likely could have gotten better resolution, but with lower overall image quality. If XCX were to even try to push features found in the Switch games and kept it at 720p, it would definitely be a slideshow.

@sixrings Hell, I'm just looking for 720p 30fps. That's definitely playable, especially on handheld, where that is still amazing. At 540p it gets irritating docked because I have a 60 inch TV. It's really blurry. Like I feel like people who say that it's not bad are just trying to justify not having other options.

Funny thing is, if these numbers were never dug up, how many of the people with a problem regarding resolution would even noticed? Their perception would be based on the game itself, not numbers.

@Discostew that is categorically false. I'm sorry but I can clearly tell between 720p 900p and 1080p on my 55 inch qled tv. Great that you can't tell the difference but others can. I wish I couldn't tell it would make gaming on the switch much easier. But we're talking sub 720p here. It's like playing a game through my sister's glasses prescription on my 4k tv. It's blurry and noticeable. I'm glad these numbers came out because people were going on and on about how good the game looked before. Personally before the numbers came out I didn't understand what people were talking about. It looked blurry and these nuMbers indicate that I have not lost my 20/20 vision despite my advanced age.

@Razer Whatever you think the game is better or not, that's a matter of opinion and you can say that, i have no problems with it... but YSVIII is a game that looks like a mid gen PS2 upscalled to 720p.

Yes, in docked mode its locked to 720p, not even 1080p with those graphics lol.

Plain, no textures, barely any kind of definition in the world, etc...

@sixrings "I'm glad these numbers came out because people were going on and on about how good the game looked before." It still looks good, what are you talking about?

@Baker1000 shadow of the colossus, crash Bandicoot n sane trilogy and ratchet and clank are all remastered with better graphics, better performances (ReC looks like a Pixar movie) and they were sold at launch on Ps4 at 39 $....

I am just saying that I am not going to pay full game price for a port of an old game with slightly better visuals that runs poorly on a new system. To me, it is still lazy port. It is full of great optimized ports on Switch (Diablo, Doom, Wolfenstein) that deserve more than this.

After saying that, everyone is entitled to spend his money as he wants.

@sixrings you are right. 720p on a 55"tv is pretty bad.

@Anri02 I agree that it's not something I'll get because of the resolution but it's not lazy. All those games you listed have frame rate and resolution problems. All of them scale in the same range as this game This is a hardware issue, not a developer one. The only way they probably could have hit 1080p 60 on this port is of it was a straight port of the Wii game and not a rebuild in a different engine. It's honestly somewhere between a remake and a remaster. Probably closer to a remake.

The assets are better. The problem is that everyone saying that the resolution won't affect the game forgets that those stills they're looking at dont reflect the game — because games move.

@Xansies I think you @ the wrong person

@Xansies truth is that most of the Japanese devs (Nintendo excluded) are notoriously bad in optimizing their code. From software is a prime example, gorgeous artistic games that runs subpar compared to western releases.

That said they could at least done better. Or asked for a lower price, since they seemed to admit that this port was done with limited resources and in short time.

@JimiVall oh I see. I forgot NTSC is different from the PAL version.

@Discostew

They didn't care.

@arnoldlayne83 I can honestly agree with that. There's no earthly reason that games like RDR2, The last of us 2, Horizon zero dawn, or even ghost of tsushima should be able to run on a base PS4 or even any modern game on a base Xbox one. They do a lot of tricks that aren't exactly optimization. They literally just turn off everything that the player isn't looking at and basically just put in jpegs for anything more than 50 yards away.

Though to be fair it's possible to argue that most games for the last two years have the same problem on the OG one as do games on the switch. It's just inadequate hardware. Sony is honestly the best at getting ***** to run on a machines that have no business running it.

And again, I still agree with you. These ports of western games on the switch are regarded as minor technological miracles just for running

What? How can you know resolutions by just datamining them? According to Digital Foundry, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was just 720p docked. Handheld mode was the real issue... until they released post-launch patches which helped around image quality and performance. I won't believe it runs that low, it's still based on a Wii game after all... and wasn't XCX also 720p on Wii U?

And how can you explain those landscapes images? They looked so sharp.

900p locked should have been the very base of switch resolution especially on first and second party software.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7rFIdx8NmA
Start at 3:50

People are blowing this out of proportion.

@Faruko you're actually trying to sit there and tell me Xenoblade looks better? Xenoblade 2 is one of the worst looking games on the Switch in handheld mode.

I think upscaled PS2 game is a silly exaggeration. The art style might not be to your liking so you think it looks bad.

It actually runs and looks smooth from the 50 hours I've played on it in handheld mode, which cannot be said for Xenoblade 2, that had noticeable frame rate drops and fidelity dips in many areas.

Even then I wouldn't call Xenoblade Blade 2 PS2 era upscaled, probably Wii Era though tbh.

Woah are people really calling this release "low effort?" We're getting the best version of one of the greatest JRPGs ever made, complete with improved character models, improved UI, remastered and re-recorded (in some cases) soundtrack, AND 20 hrs additional story content and you guys are complaining about specs? Also last I recall, everyone was remarking how good this game looks, until they saw the numbers. Jesus, if you want to play games for how they look why are you even gaming on Nintendo?

Not to worry:

When Nintendo releases this game for the 4th time in 2025 (if they stick to current patterns), I'm sure it'll be 1080p by then....

Oh dear, that sounds pretty bad.

Isn't the dynamic range listed here just the hard coded limits of the dynamic resolution set up? It remains to be seen whether you are likely to be looking at those resolutions in the actual game very much at all(or at all). The dynamic resolution system could scale down to 100p, but whether you actually see that is a different story.

Even if it was 720p30fps locked it would still be disappointing.

Tender needz mur hurse purrs

@sixrings I have 18.5/20 and I can notice the problem too. I don't know how people don't. It would have been far better to have worse textures and light effects and 1080p. Resolution != visuals. Visuals are not important but resolution is because it makes your eyes strain when it is low.

It´s acceptable (not really, but kind of) if you have never played the game. But if you have, like me, it´s not worthy at all. Definitely not paying 60 bucks for this...

As a huge fan of Monolith works, I know they can do it way better. We understood Xeno 2 had its issues (a thing they could´ve patched later on, but anyway...), so I gladly paid for it and Torna. But this one? A REMASTER focused on the graphic improvement? Absolutely NOT. Not again.

@Yas LOL! How in earth can you compare it with the 3DS? That screen had a low resolution. The game only had to reach 200p, because that's all there was.

Its hilarious that the original could run at a higher resolution 10 years ago on the Wii, than today in 2020 on the Nintendo Switch.

They have made some weird priorities here.

@triforcepower73 "one of the greatest JRPG'S ever made"... I don't know about all that, I mean... It's not that bad. Maybe barely in the top 10 of all time. Maybe.

There's a reason why it sold less than 1m units on an install base of 100m+. That's a ridiculously low hit rate.

It's one of those, if you like it, you'll love it games, but not many people will like it. Hence why not many people have purchased it. It just has vocal fans, not a lot of them though.

I mean... An unknown JRPG on the Switch made by better developers has shifted more copies than XC2 has in less time and XC2 is the best selling game in the series.

@the_beaver well it's not going to be different enough to warrant spending $60/£50 on.

I don't normally notice graphics much and have pre-ordered the game anyway so I'll be happy with Xenoblade Chronicles.

@Razer Yes, it looks better

and yes YSVIII is a mid gen ps2 looking game, is that bland

@Faruko lol I bet you haven't even played the game anyway.

I've played both so I can at least say I've had personal experience with both.

Xenoblade looks like crap compared to YS.

@Jeronan My point was that people were playing at 200p or 240p without moaning about it. Now twice the resolution is a problem?

Also, pretty sure you're wrong about the original running at a higher resolution. Thought the Wii was 480p. Which means 504p-720p on the Switch is better. No?

Obviously, you can't compare Wii Console output with Switch handheld output. That would be silly!

@Yas the 3DS wasn't billed as an HD console. Even as a hybrid the switch is HD at 720p portable. The fact that this runs less than 480p is a bit much. GameCube games ran at 480P. That's two decades ago.

I played xb2. It was a pretty fun game but wasn’t impressed with the visuals. I couldn’t believe this came from a team that assisted botw (an open world game that ran at a higher res and looked 10x better). Their tech just isn’t very good. Dq11 brick walls clearly had geometry to them, not just textures on flat walls. Xb2 was all flat walls and this from a custom engine (vs unreal, which generally struggles to match custom engines). It’s just disappointing as it seems like another team could get these kinds of visuals to at least 900p and probably more features as well.

@Razer Ah yes, sales numbers: the best way to judge video games. If we're going by that logic, the Marvel cinematic universe is the greatest film series ever made.

@triforcepower73 sales figures don't make good games.

But good games sell well.

Something none of Monoliths games have done.

Also don't play dumb, you know full well good games with low sales figures are that way due to lack of exposure and awareness. Something that Monoliths games don't suffer from.

I mean,what do you say when an unknown IP in this genre outsells a known IP? Because that's exactly what Octopath Traveler did.

You can't tell me that has nothing to do with quality.

@Razer It depends on what you consider selling well. For square enix, a major studio, 2 million isn't that big a deal. It's a success for sure but not really surprising considering octopath traveler is broadly appealing, being a sides scroller JRPG that returns to the style of games like Chrono Trigger. Of course people are gonna eat that up.

And what are you talking about, acting like Xenoblade 2 has low sales. 1.7 million for a much lesser known studio like monolith soft is comparatively a bigger success than Octopath. Especially when you consider how far they've come, Xenoblade originally not even being available in the west until fans petitioned Nintendo to make it a reality. The reason that happened? Because it's a good game.

@triforcepower73 in this instance, the size of the studio doesn't matter.

If it did then Kollow Knight, that is made by 3 people has over 3m sales. Wouldn't be possible.

The reason why Hollow Knight sold so well was because of exposure and awareness.

That's something both Xenoblade had (because of their exclusive relationship with Nintendo) and something Octopath had because of the size of Square.

Your analogy would make games like Hollow Knight impossible.

You can't tell me that Xenoblade has less content than Octopath either, which means Monolith are not adverse to taking on big projects (albeit with limited success).

So if Xenoblade had exposure and awareness (you simply cannot say they are an unknown development team, not when they have had such an exclusive relationship with Nintendo), it had developers who take on big projects and they still got outsold by a game with much lower level of scope.

@Razer I still don't see the coorelation between more sales and better game. It's just not that simple. In that case, Stardew Valley developed by a single person would be a better game than Hollow Knight because it sold better. I absolutely adore both games and have sunk tons of hours into them but I'm not going to pretend like you can definitively say which game is better because that completely negates all nuance and difference in personal preferences. If you like certain games then you like certain games.

I'm also not going to pretend Xenoblade appeals to everyone. It certainly doesn't appeal to as many people as Octopath, which I would argue contributes to the differences in sales. Not everybody likes over the top, anime-style stories with corny characters and an MMO battle system. I and a lot of other people happen to love that and I don't think it detracts from the game and I still hold my position that Xenoblade 1 is one of the greatest JRPGs ever. Sales numbers don't change that opinion.

Picked up the Eu collector's edition and so far I like it, though the resolution in handheld mode does drop a lot. The game always looks blurry.

For people who keep mentioning the 3ds version, that one at least ran in native resolution. Sub-native resolution always looks blurry, while even low but native resolution is easier on the eyes.

My guess is that the same thing happened as with XC2 - Nintendo cannibalized Monolith Soft's team to help BotW development and we got all these issues with XC2 graphics. Now Nintendo is developing BotW's sequel and I bet it happened again.

I'm not sure they actually improved the engine before this release. Remember that XC2 had the entire world designed in higher detail, while this uses a world designed with Wii level of detail and then tweaked and enhanced. Plus, the team size is lower in this one, so there's fewer high poly models to render at the same time.

Cya
Raziel-chan

PS. I'm quite sure I posted my thoughts about why XC2 and this turned out this way here, but my post seems to have disappeared.