The Nintendo Switch 2 has proven to be a success since it launched, garnering critical acclaim and proving that, while less powerful than its next-gen console counterparts, it is still the very best in the handheld market. However, by far its biggest weakness is its lack of first-party games, with it exclusively relying on third-party titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Hogwarts Legacy to carry its initial sales before the likes of Donkey Kong Bananza, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond release later in 2025.
Of course, this lack of good first-party Switch 2 exclusives has made me wonder what games and franchises should make their way to the platform. That’s when I remembered an obscure yet beloved PlayStation 2 classic that is in dire need of the remastering treatment and was actually developed by one of Nintendo’s very own first-party studios. While many may not have it at the top of their list of must-have Switch 2 ports, a quick glance into its fascinating saga will reveal it is very much worth bringing over to the plucky new handheld.
Xenosaga Needs To Come To Switch 2
It Is Trapped On The PlayStation 2
The Xenosaga trilogy, developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco (now known as Bandai Namco), was a truly iconic set of PlayStation 2 RPGs that have, sadly, been lost to time. All three games remain extortionately expensive on second-hand retailers like eBay in the United States, and in Europe, only the second game is available, inexplicably. I have spent countless hours desperately trying to figure out how I’m supposed to legally play these games in the UK to no avail. It is a futile effort, at least without an official HD remaster collection.
As a huge fan of the Xenoblade Chronicles series – XBC2 remains one of the best RPGs ever made, if not the best RPG, in my opinion – Xenosaga is something I’m extremely keen to play, as I imagine the many millions of other Xenoblade fans are too. Xenosaga Episode 1 was the first game Monolith Soft ever made after creators Tetsuya Takahashi and Soraya Saga split from Square. Its legacy can be felt throughout Monolith’s later work, with even one of its central characters, KOS-MOS, appearing in numerous other games.
With Monolith still referencing Xenosaga to this day, and with Nintendo in dire need of mature games, it feels like the perfect time for the Xenosaga trilogy to get the remaster treatment on the Switch 2. It worked well for the likes of Metal Gear Solid, and the Xeno series has garnered far more popularity since Xenosaga’s initial release. To me, someone who is, frankly, rather biased, it seems like a no-brainer. However, as much as I really want it to happen, it seems like a Xenosaga port may not be possible; at least, it hasn’t been in the past.
Xenosaga Ports Have Proven Tricky
It Is Published By Bandai Namco
The entire Xenosaga trilogy and its spin-off games on mobile and the Nintendo DS were published by Bandai Namco. As a result, it owns the rights to the series, and thus is the one who decides whether to greenlight a remaster collection. In fact, Bandai Namco producer Katsuhiro Harada, who is best known for his work on the Tekken franchise, responded to a fan on X explaining that a Xenosaga remaster collection was once in the works, but was, unfortunately, shut down as it “failed in a profitable market analysis.”
Essentially, Bandai Namco didn’t believe it would make enough money. However, this response was back in 2019, and doesn’t indicate at what point the remaster collection was being considered. That’s important, as, since then, Bandai Namco has released a remastered collection of another Monolith Soft series. One of the most requested GameCube ports for the original Switch was Baten Kaitos 1 & 2, which, thankfully, Bandai Namco turned into a HD remastered collection in 2023. While it wasn’t Xenosaga, it does bode well that it is finally releasing Monolith’s older games on Nintendo hardware.
According to Famitsu, in the week Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster was released, it ranked fifth in the physical sales charts in Japan, meaning that it sold relatively well. In 2024, it shadow dropped onto Steam, where it managed a rather measly 90 all-time peak player count, according to Steam Charts. That’s definitely disappointing for any game, but without player counts on consoles, it’s hard to accurately judge just how well it sold.
The Xeno name could be just enough to push a Xenosaga remaster into relevancy and get people interested, especially on the Nintendo Switch 2.
It would be easy to see that and worry that it isn’t particularly promising for a Xenosaga remaster. However, one has to factor in that Xenosaga has the Xeno branding backing it. That’s worth a lot, as the Xenoblade Chronicles series has sold extremely well, with XBC3’s pre-orders crashing Nintendo’s website due to the overwhelming number of people wanting to buy it. The Xeno name could be just enough to push a Xenosaga remaster into relevancy and get people interested, especially on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Xenosaga Deserves The Remaster Treatment
There’s A Lot More Monolith Soft Wanted To Do
There is also good reason for Xenosaga specifically to get a remaster collection developed by Monolith Soft itself. Xenosaga was intended to have six episodes, but it was cut down to just three. Takahashi and Saga’s original draft for the second Episode was cut down substantially to fit all of their ambitious ideas into one entry, which then also affected their ideas for the third game. The game’s dwindling sales also impacted the series, which led to a feeling that Monolith Soft never quite managed to accomplish everything it set out to do.
A remaster on the Nintendo Switch 2, one akin to the incredible Xenoblade Chronicles remasters, which add entire DLCs that typically add cut content, would allow the developer to revisit some of those more ambitious ideas and finally realize them. It would give fans the experience they’ve wanted from the start and newcomers a convenient way to experience the entire trilogy the way it was meant to be played. A Xenosaga remaster would mean that one of gaming’s most ambitious projects would finally get to be properly completed.
Everyone has a game they want to see taken out of retirement and brought to a modern platform, and I’m sure they’re all worthy of that. However, in an age where we’re getting remakes of Persona 4 when the original is currently available on PC and next-gen consoles, I feel it is only fair that we bring back unavailable iconic JRPGs like Xenosaga to give them another chance. Monolith Soft has a lot of reverence for the trilogy, and the Nintendo Switch 2 needs more JRPGs, so it feels like a perfect match that would be a win-win for everyone.
Source: Katsuhiro Harada/X, Famitsu, Steam Charts
