Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the biggest Switch game of the summer, a massive JRPG that continues a series with a spotty track record when it comes to performance. Have the developers at Monolith Soft mastered the Switch hardware after their work helping Nintendo with Breath of the Wild, or will Xenoblade players have to overlook issues to get their turn-based combat fix? The answer is evident with some second opinion help from the fine folks at Digital Foundry.
What Is Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s Target Frame Rate?
Regarding frame rate, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 targets 30 frames per second and accomplishes that goal for the most part. Early areas of the game run consistently, the visuals only dip slightly as your party grows, and regions begin to expand to the horizon. Cutscenes, whether pre-rendered or in-engine, never suffer from a dip.
The framerate also stays consistent whether you’re playing in portable mode or in docked on a bigger screen. In addition, even if you experience dips while playing, the turn-based gameplay of the Xenoblade series ensures that your experience is only minimally affected.
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How Does Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Look In Portable Mode?
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 improves significantly in terms of portable mode performance compared to previous entries in the series. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 suffered from a massively blurred image when taking the Switch out of the dock due to low resolution and simple upscaling. The third entry in the series ups the resolution to 720p and upgrades the upscaling, giving images a sharp look no matter where you’re playing the game.
Does Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Offer English and Japanese Audio?
Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s in-game dialogue is translated into English, and the game offers complete Japanese voice work, letting players play to their personal preference. From the audio side of things, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 features a full 5.1 surround sound setup for those who can take advantage of it on the dock. Outside of that, the in-game soundtrack is appropriately bombastic and dramatic when it needs to be, giving the entire experience the epic overture it needs.
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Overall, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 takes full advantage of the Switch hardware and faces no significant issues in performance. Those who can overlook a few dips in framerate in the most extensive combat scenarios will have a seamless experience no matter how they choose to play the game.
