I'm playing a massive new game that makes me yearn for the Switch 2

I absolutely adore the Nintendo Switch – from the original model to the superb step-up Switch OLED that breathed new life into the hardware, it's been arguably the greatest console of all time over nearly a whole decade of relevance. So, the fact that it's still getting big releases even this late in its life-cycle, with the Switch 2 now fully confirmed and on the way, is remarkable.

That said, my first few hours with the upgraded Wii U re-release of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition have underlined just how much I want that Switch 2 in my hands as soon as possible. This is a great game at underlining both how much the Switch can do, and where its limitations lie.

The Xenoblade games are arguably Nintendo's first-party exclusive answer to Final Fantasy, which is now a multi-platform behemoth. They're huge RPGs with varying battle systems set in a mixture of worlds alien and recognisable and have become very popular over the years. X is the oddest of the bunch, unconnected to the others and telling a story in its own silo.

As a Wii U title, it was underplayed but highly praised, so a Switch release makes sense, and the game certainly shines by comparison with its original version. It also makes some other massive Switch titles look quaint with its massive vistas and a sense of huge scale.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition – Announcement Trailer – Nintendo Switch - YouTube

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This is perhaps low-hanging fruit, but compare the game in motion to the likes of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and the latter pair's shoddy visuals are starkly obvious, for example. In Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, characters are detailed, there are loads of different elements on-screen at once, and it all looks way more impressive.

That said, you can also expect some of the typical performance challenges that ambitious Switch games have exhibited for years. The frame rate, for one, is pretty unstable, and there are moments of clear lag every so often. Compare the game to recent big-budget JRPGs on other platforms, from Tales of Arise to Granblue Fantasy: Relink, and you'll quickly notice the enormous gulf in both performance and visual clarity.

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This makes it harder for Xenoblade Chronicles to stand out, a challenge that later entries in the series counteracted by using bolder and more stylistic character designs and art styles. Still, to be clear, if you're excited to try X for the first time I'd advise that you don't let this deter you all that much.

It's part of the territory with open-world games on Switch that they can look a little muddy at times, and the battle gameplay in X is still extremely easy to get to grips with, revolving around timings and cooldowns rather than twitchy reactions and lag-free controls.

In telling its own story, you also don't have to worry about catching up on a decade or more of lore and backstory, which is always nice. Plus, the game has a really fun and engaging soundtrack to explore as you progress.

Still, I can't help but imagine how the Switch 2 could improve this game – and potentially will, since it will have boosted power and almost complete backwards compatibility. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition will be a really interesting and useful test case in how the newer hardware treats games that have a lot of performance headroom, from possibly boosted texture detail to simpler improvements in frame rate and stability.

We don't know much about the Switch 2's release date, beyond the fact that we should learn loads during a dedicated Nintendo Direct in early April. Here's hoping it's sooner, rather than later – I can't wait to see what it can do with games like this one.