Here's how every Ys game runs on Switch 2 – Ys VIII, Ys IX, Ys Origin, Celceta, Felghana, and X Nordics tested

This week's Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 backward compatibility feature covers Nihon Falcom's superlative Ys series. With Ys X: Proud Nordics launching exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 in Japan next week, I decided to tackle this franchise to cover how every Switch release plays on Nintendo Switch 2. This follows the recent articles I've done going over the Fire Emblem, Tales of, Monster Hunter, Dragon Quest, Xenoblade, and SaGa games tested on Nintendo Switch 2.

With Ys, a majority of the releases are ports and remasters, but the newest mainline entry did see a simultaneous launch on Switch alongside PlayStation consoles. As with my earlier features going over different franchises, I will be comparing load times, performance, and more when testing on Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch. The games covered today are Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana, Ys: Memories of Celceta, Ys Origin, and Ys X: Nordics.

For the load time testing, I've used the digital version of each game installed to the Nintendo Switch 2 internal memory and installed on the SD card on Nintendo Switch OLED. I've also made sure to mash A to speed up any loading and avoid the publisher and developer logos if possible. For Ys: Memories of Celceta, a localization hasn't been announced so I've tested the Japanese eShop release. I also tested the Japanese version of Ys X: Nordics since that's the one I own digitally and physically right now. 

How does Ys IX: Monstrum Nox run on Nintendo Switch 2

When I bought the original Japanese release of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox for PS4, I was shocked at how poorly it ran on Sony's console. After some updates it was better when played on PS4 Pro, but felt really lacking on a technical level with performance issues, poor draw distance, and other issues. I still love the game, but it was lacking on the visual and performance side of things. It was only really good on PS5 when played through backward compatibility or the native PS5 release. The Nintendo Switch port was a technical mess as expected with lots of slowdown and regular performance issues on top of what I experienced with the PS4 release.

Moving over to Nintendo Switch 2, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox not only loads much faster, but it also holds its 30fps target well even in combat. I don't think it is a perfect experience now given the poor draw distance and lower resolution, but if you bought Ys IX: Monstrum Nox on Switch and dropped it because of its performance, it is much better on Switch 2. 

Note: All load times above are in seconds.

What we want from an Ys IX Monstrum Nox  Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox would dramatically benefit from a new port of the game based on the PC version for Nintendo Switch 2. It already runs really well on Steam Deck and I imagine a potential port from PH3 would be fantastic on Nintendo Switch 2. As for just an update or upgrade, I don't think there's much that can be done here. The Switch version isn't worth playing unless you have no other way to experience Ys IX. 

How does Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana run on Nintendo Switch 2

I still remember booting up Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana on Nintendo Switch pre-release and getting excited when I saw the loading animation run at 60fps. The end result was not great, but it was playable. For some context, I played Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana on PS Vita and PS4 for the Western launch and while it remains an ambitious and very impressive PS Vita release, it wasn't a great experience on Sony's handheld compared to how it played on PS4. The PC version was also a mess until PH3 stepped in and fixed it to the point where the PC version is now the best way to play Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana. On Nintendo Switch, Ys VIII is a visually rough experience with inconsistent performance. While it did include all the new content from the PS4 version, it was nowhere as good to play.

When playing Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana on Nintendo Switch 2, the load times are massively improved and while performance is more stable, the visuals are still quite bad with a lot of shimmering throughout. 

Note: All load times above are in seconds.

What we want from an Ys VIII Lacrimosa of Dana Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade

When I interviewed PH3's Durante for Trails Through Daybreak II, I asked about a potential Ys VIII and Ys IX Switch 2 versions because I thought (back then) that PH3 could deliver the definitive versions of those games for Nintendo Switch 2. He said "What we can work on is a publisher decision. That said, I agree that there is a huge opportunity there to deliver a great version of beloved games like Ys VIII that haven’t had a great showing on (console) handhelds so far." I still think Switch 2 versions of Ys VIII and Ys IX from PH3 would be the definitive experiences and hope that happens at some point in the future because those games deserve to have great handheld experiences.

How does Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana run on Nintendo Switch 2

Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana on Switch, PS4, and PS5 was a good way to experience one of Falcom's best games, but it wasn't a perfect visual experience thanks to some poorly upscaled textures and also because the Memoire release used the PSP version as a base instead of XSEED's newer PC release. On Switch, Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana had some performance issues, but was still a good portable experience that I recommended. On Switch 2, Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is one of the big backward compatibility surprises with it delivering 1080p visuals in handheld like Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition does. This is with no update. It seems the game on the original Switch always rendered at 1080p and downsampled  to 720p handheld. If you haven't played Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana yet, it is a fantastic portable experience on Switch 2. I recommend avoiding the 1.5x speed mode though since that has poor camera scrolling still. 

Note: All load times above are in seconds.

What we want from an Ys Memoire The Oath in Felghana Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade

I would love for Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana to get native 4K support for docked play in addition to potentially 120fps. Given how well it runs on PlayStation and Switch right now, Falcom could deliver a fantastic experience with crisp visuals and 120fps portable gameplay. If we did see a potential new version of Ys: The Oath in Felghana, I would hope it is based on the PC version with higher resolution textures as opposed to the weirdly upscaled textures we saw in Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana. I would also like the 1.5x speed mode to see its camera movement speed issue fixed.

How does Ys Origin run on Nintendo Switch 2

Ys Origin was the second Ys game released on Nintendo Switch. It didn't suffer from any major performance issues and was a big step up over the PS Vita release. Ys Origin on Switch is still my favorite portable version. On a technical level, I was a bit disappointed in how long it took to load the title screen from the console dashboard. On Nintendo Switch 2, Ys Origin still runs fine, but there isn't much improvement to the initial load. While not native 1080p in handheld mode, the Switch version is still a great portable experience when played on Switch 2.

Note: All load times above are in seconds.

What we want from an Ys Origin Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade

Ys Origin is likely too old to get any sort of update, but I think a potential Nintendo Switch 2 release in Falcom's Ys Memoire series might be a possibility. This could deliver a crisp 1080p handheld experience and 120fps. Barring that, I would also like the ability to skip all the opening cut-scenes in any potential Switch 2 version. Revisiting Ys Origin has just made me want to replay the whole game again and I might just do that on Switch 2 after finishing this article.

How does Ys X: Nordics run on Nintendo Switch 2

Ys X: Nordics was Falcom's first simultaneous multi-platform launch in Japan with it releasing for both Nintendo and PlayStation consoles. It also clearly felt like it was designed for Nintendo Switch, though that version wasn't perfect. It was still a massively better experience than playing Ys VIII or Ys IX on Switch. Ys X: Nordics on Nintendo Switch ran mostly well enough with a 30fps target. It had some drops and while the resolution was not native for the Switch's screen and was sub 1080p docked. Ys X: Nordics on Switch felt like the most-polished Falcom Switch release outside of PH3's Crossbell games.

Moving over to Nintendo Switch 2, Ys X: Nordics loads a lot faster across the board and the frame rate holds its 30fps target much better. The slightly softer visuals on Switch are more noticeable when playing on the Switch 2's 1080p screen though. I thought Ys X: Nordics was an easy recommendation for Switch owners before and while it is improved on Switch 2, I don't recommend getting it here because of Ys X: Proud Nordics' upcoming release in Japan.

Note: All load times above are in seconds.

What we want from an Ys X Nordics Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade

Well, I don't need to speculate about this like I do with other Ys games because we are getting a new Switch 2 version of Ys X: Nordics next week with Ys X: Proud Nordics adding new story content and with upgraded visuals. Ys X: Proud Nordics is even supposed to offer a 120fps performance mode. Whether it holds to that target well or not remains to be seen, but those who want to experience Ys X: Nordics on Switch 2 should wait to see how Ys X: Proud Nordics turns out. At worst, it will still be a much better experience than Ys X: Nordics on Switch was.

How does Ys Memoire: Memories of Celceta run on Nintendo Switch 2

Ys : Memories of Celceta is the reason I am a Falcom fan. That might sound weird given the game, but it was this game on PS Vita that got me to check out Falcom's prior releases leading into Felghana which I adore. Ys: Memories of Celceta isn't remotely my favorite Ys game, but I've played every version of it over the years across Vita, PC, and PS4. While it was recently released in Japan on Switch as Ys Memoire: Memories of Celceta, it has not been announced for release in the West yet. I bought the Japanese version from the eShop to test for this article.

Ys Memoire: Memories of Celceta is a subpar experience on Nintendo Switch. It doesn't look crisp in handheld mode like The Oath in Felghana does, and it doesn't even run at a locked 60fps like it should. Moving over to Nintendo Switch 2, Ys Memoire: Memories of Celceta runs at 60fps without issues and it loads faster across the board compared to playing on Nintendo Switch. If this does get localized, I recommend playing it on Nintendo Switch 2 if you have the option for the smoothest experience on Nintendo systems. It sadly still looks soft on Nintendo Switch 2 barring the UI which is crisp.

Note: All load times above are in seconds.

What we want from an Ys Memories of Celceta Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade

Given Ys Memoire: Memories of Celceta hasn't been announced for the West yet, I hope it does get a Nintendo Switch 2 port that delivers 1080p native handheld visuals and up to 120fps support. Right now, the game isn't even 720p (for 3D elements) on Nintendo Switch 1. It would also help if the game supported 4K resolution docked in a potential Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade. I don't see it happening though given the age of the game, but given a Western release hasn't happened yet, I can dream.

That covers every single Ys game currently available on Nintendo Switch barring the EGGCONSOLE emulated releases. I don't own any of the EGGCONSOLE Ys releases right now, but I might buy them when I revisit this article in the future if we see more Ys ports. The next main release for the franchise is Ys X: Proud Nordics which is yet to be announced for the West as of this writing.