Katarzyna Petru
The premiere of Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 was supposed to be a technological showcase of the new console's capabilities. It runs at 60 frames per second, the smoothness is noticeably better, but experts from Digital Foundry temper the enthusiasm. According to their analysis, the biggest problem lies in the quality of the image.
60 FPS is there, but the image "blurs"
The DF team emphasises that the game indeed runs at stable 60 FPS in both docked and handheld modes, which is a significant step forward compared to earlier versions. Smoothness and responsiveness are at a higher level. The problem arises with the visual presentation itself. In motion, surface details appear to blur, resembling an oil painting effect. Thin elements, such as cables or power lines, may appear distorted and slightly wavy instead of perfectly straight. In static frames, the image seems sharp, but in dynamic scenes, reconstruction artefacts become visible.
This is not pure 1080p
According to analysis, the game does not render in native 1080p. All indications point to a lower internal resolution and subsequent image reconstruction. The game files contain information about the use of SMAA, but the final effect does not resemble the classic edge smoothing of this type. Digital Foundry suggests that the solution employed may resemble a light form of scaling supported by machine learning, but not a full implementation of DLSS. Although Switch 2 supports DLSS, its implementation requires additional developer work, and the current solution looks more like a post-process upscaler. Notably, even in handheld mode, where pixel density is higher, artifacts remain noticeable.
Digital Foundry acknowledges that switching to 60 FPS significantly improves gameplay comfort. This is the first time that Xenoblade Chronicles X runs at such fluidity on hardware from the Switch family. At the same time, experts note that the visual compromises are clear enough that it’s worth being aware of their existence before purchasing. They also hope that future updates may improve the quality of reconstruction.
Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition on Switch 2 offers significantly better fluidity, but at the expense of image quality. 60 FPS is a strong advantage, however, the anticipated improvement in sharpness and clarity of graphics did not meet all expectations.
source: twistedvoxel.com
