Xenoblade Chronicles X Appears to Have a 'Hidden' 60 FPS Mode, Sparking Nintendo Switch 2 Speculation

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is out today for Nintendo Switch consoles, and some players are already digging into the data to learn more about it. One discovery seems to reveal a "hidden" mode enabling 60 frames per second, which is certainly cause for curiosity and speculation about what it could mean for the Switch 2.

Over on X/Twitter (via Wccftech), modder MasaGratoR dug into the executable of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition and found what they called a "hidden 60 FPS mode." The modder said it seems to be implemented "only partially," since enabling it causes "weird issues."

About Xenoblade Chronicles X:
- Dynamic resolution ranges: 504p-720p handheld, 760p-1080p docked
- Game's executable has hidden 60 FPS mode. It seems to be implemented only partially since enabling it causes weird issues. As a proof screen from function that sets UI speed, 1.0.1 pic.twitter.com/Ag09YVQ7g1— MasaGratoR (@masagratordev) March 20, 2025

While it's not implemented in the game proper, the existence of this setting does spark some interesting questions. If it's not available, why is it in there? While some stray leftover code could be one answer, some speculation about what this could mean for the Switch 2 and existing Switch games is also easy to understand.

Nintendo has confirmed that the Switch 2 will be mostly backward compatible. The official reveal of its next console said that the console will play Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive games, as well as Nintendo Switch games, with an asterisk that certain Nintendo Switch games "may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2."

It's hard to imagine Xenoblade Chronicles X would be one of those asterisked games, but there is a question over whether existing Switch games would get enhanced on the next-gen console. There's no proof of that yet, just speculation over the usual trends of backward compatibility. It certainly makes the Switch 2 all the more interesting for existing Switch owners, though.

We'll hopefully learn more in just a few weeks, when Nintendo airs its Switch 2 Direct on April 2, 2025. There, we'll learn more about the upcoming console and Nintendo's plans for it.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.