Which is the best version of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake? PS5, Switch 2, Xbox, Switch, and PC tested

Next month, Square Enix will launch Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake worldwide for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch, Switch 2, and PC platforms. This follows Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake which launched on the same platforms last year aside from Nintendo Switch 2, though the Switch version did get updated with backward compatibility enhancements recently. Having played the Switch and Steam versions at launch, I have been checking out the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series versions of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake recently while revisiting the Switch and Steam versions to see how the game scales across hardware. 

Just like my recent feature on Triangle Strategy which followed the ones I did for Final Fantasy IX for its 25th anniversary, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series, and Chrono Trigger for its 30th anniversary, I'm going to cover every version of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake here going over the features, visuals, performance, and load times. This includes Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on Nintendo Switch, the Switch version patched on Switch 2 with enhancements, the PS5 version, the Xbox version on Xbox Series X, the Xbox on PC version on ROG Ally, the Steam version on Steam Deck, and the Steam version on ROG Ally. I will also be covering the different graphics modes on supported consoles.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake feature differences across platforms

Since Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake launched simultaneously on all platforms, there are no content differences, but there have been big improvements thanks to notable post-launch updates. If you haven't kept up with it since launch, Square Enix released a much-needed post-launch update that increased Ramia and ship movement speed, added a shortcut menu, and more. The Switch version was also patched with a free Nintendo Switch 2 compatibility update featuring graphical improvements.

The differences with Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake are in the platform features offered and also technical details. Each version of the game available today offers something different thanks to said platform features. I've listed them below: 

• Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on Switch and Switch 2: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on Switch features the ability to play docked or handheld seamlessly on Switch and it also includes enhanced backward compatibility improvements when played on Switch 2. 
• Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on Steam: The Steam release of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake plays perfectly on PC and Steam Deck out of the box. It also supports Steam Achievements and mods. 
• Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on PS5: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on PS5 features Trophy support, activity card tracking, and also Remote Play working great for this style of gameplay. The PS5 version also features two display modes, but there's more to the story.
• Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on Xbox: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on Xbox is a Play Anywhere title letting you access it on your Xbox Series console and Windows 11 device (Xbox on PC) with saves syncing across. It also supports Quick Resume. Just like PS5, the Xbox Series X has two display modes, but which I cover below. 

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake visuals and performance differences across PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, PC, and Switch

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake's image quality and performance vary quite a bit across platforms. As someone who has played every single HD-2D game across all major platforms now, it has been interesting to see how each developer tackles the older and newer consoles with ports and new releases. With Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, Artdink handled the development. Artdink's Triangle Strategy and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake are both capped to 60fps on all platforms including PC while some other HD-2D games even go up to 120fps. You will need to use a mod to get basic PC features including ultrawide and removing the 60fps cap. 

If you own the Switch version of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, the free Switch 2 enhancement update adds two modes when played on Switch 2 and the file size increases quite a bit. This is similar to the kind of upgrade given to games like The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Remake. On Switch 2, the graphics mode targets 30fps with crisper visuals while the performance mode drops the resolution to target 60fps. This update not only allowed for a 60fps target performance mode which was not possible on Switch 1, but in general delivers a resolution bump over the Switch 1 version played on Switch 2. Unfortunately, you don't get the ability to play with crisp native resolution visuals and 60fps on Switch 2. The Switch 1 version still has noticeable drops from 30fps in busier areas. Those drops were cleaned up on Switch 2 initially, but the new graphics modes deliver a much better experience.

Note: The comparison above features PS5, Xbox, Switch, and Switch 2 docked capture done with an Elgato 4K capture card, but the handheld images are via the Switch and Switch 2 system capture functionality.

I was surprised to see that the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions also feature these two graphics modes, but the implementation is very different on Sony and Microsoft's consoles. On PS5 and Xbox Series X, both the graphics and performance mode target 60fps. There is no 30fps mode or 120fps mode. The difference is the performance mode drops the resolution to deliver a locked 60fps. It is a bit overkill as the graphics mode holds 60fps well most of the time. I only noticed two areas where it dropped from 60fps noticeably in my testing, and it wasn't even for extended periods of time. I would have preferred a dynamic resolution implementation for Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on PS5 and Xbox Series X to drop resolution when required to maintain 60fps in the few places it needs to rather than confuse players with two modes that target the same frame rate with a big resolution difference.

Speaking of resolution differences, I'm a bit conflicted about Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on Switch 2. While I love the 60fps experience, it is hard to play HD-2D games without proper sprite scaling. It reminds me of playing pixel art games upscaled or filtered poorly. Your mileage may vary, but you have to essentially play with crisp visuals for the sprites at 30fps or drop resolution to have the game look noticeably softer on Switch with a 60fps target. This option is available both docked and handheld on Switch 2 and both modes are upgrades over the Switch 1 version. 

On PS5 and Xbox Series X, the performance mode drop in resolution looks softer on my 1440p monitor while the graphics mode looks perfect. I decided to stick to graphics given the noticeable drops only happen very rarely all things considered and the graphics mode looks fantastic. For Switch 2, the performance mode in both docked and handheld configurations looks softer and I'm not a fan of the lower resolution for the sprites. The graphics mode, while capped at 30fps, delivers crisp image quality and it looks excellent when playing handheld. If you play docked on a 1080p display, the performance mode drop in quality might not bother you, but it is very noticeable at 1440p.

Note: Since I don't have a way to capture handheld gameplay on Switch 2 or Switch yet, I had to rely on the system's own screenshot functionality so there will be a bit more quality loss in the results below.

If I was comparing the visuals for a game like Dragon Quest XI S, its aesthetic scales well even when played below a device's or screen's native resolution. The problem with the HD-2D style is the sprite or character scaling not being done correctly results in visuals I'm not happy with. I got used to this, and still do, when playing the Switch 1 versions of HD-2D games, but given the option, I will always prefer playing with proper sprite scaling even at the cost of lower quality 3D assets or effects in the environment. Hopefully future HD-2D game releases on Switch 2 can offer that as a potential third mode so that players don't have to choose between 60fps with soft visuals or 30fps with crisp visuals like in the Switch 2 patch for Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake load times across Switch 2, PS5, Steam, Xbox, Xbox on PC, and Switch

Before comparing the load times of the current version of the game, I want to stress that the Switch version already loaded much quicker on Nintendo Switch 2 thanks to the faster internal storage. For this test, I measured the time taken from the dashboard to the title screen, the time to load the same save in the early game for all systems, the time taken to leave town and load the world map and come back to town, and the battle transition load time. I used the digital version of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake was installed to the internal storage on Switch 2, SD card on Switch OLED, internal storage on Xbox Series X, internal console storage on PS5, the Steam version on Steam Deck OLED's internal SSD, the Steam version on the ROG Ally internal SSD, and the Xbox on PC (Play Anywhere) version on the ROG Ally internal SSD. 

Note: All load times above are in seconds. *For the Xbox versions on PC and Xbox Series X, the save syncing is not as seamless and quick as with Steam so this time is very variable. I tested it multiple times and got those ranges. 

As you can see, the PS5 version loads the fastest while in-game and to launch the game from the dashboard. The Switch version takes far too long compared to the rest, but the backward compatibility patch dramatically improved load times to the point where Switch 2 loads faster than Xbox Series X now. It remains to be seen how Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake handles this because instead of being patched for Switch 2 improvements, it is getting a native Switch 2 version. I will definitely be testing this.

Which version of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is the best?

The best version depends on what you're looking for when you buy an RPG like this. There are caveats to each platform in some ways, but instead of picking one platform as the best, I'm going to highlight which version is the best for playing in different ways. To play on your TV or monitor, the PS5 or Steam version on a PC that can run it at 4K are the best experiences. Both deliver improved image quality over the Switch 2 docked and have faster loading than the Xbox version. 

As for portable play, my answer will vary based on whether you want to play at 60ps or 30fps. For 30fps play, the Switch version on Switch 2 is my favorite since it looks great on the screen and loads fast. Moving to 60fps, I rate the Switch 2 experience just below the Steam Deck OLED because the latter can deliver 60fps with native resolution and crisp visuals with its much nicer screen. The Switch 2 has to drop the visuals and it looks soft when played on the 1080p screen in performance mode. When playing on ROG Ally, I was able to get a 1080p 60fps experience when using the 25W mode with minor drops that were sorted thanks to the VRR screen based on testing today while flying around and in combat.

If you want to play both on your TV/monitor and on a portable, the Switch 2 delivers an all in one experience that exceeds what the Steam Deck can do docked. The alternative is playing on your gaming PC or Xbox on your monitor and then continuing on Steam Deck or a PC handheld. If you have that option, you get a better overall experience, but I think the Switch 2 experience here is great. I also think the Switch 2 docked at 30fps delivers a better experience than the Steam Deck when running at 1440p docked.

Which version of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake should you buy today?

Before getting into the advantages and disadvantages of each version of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, I want to remind you about the save data bonus from Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake in Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. Barring that and having played every version now, and with whatever I covered in the section above, I'm glad that all versions on current platforms are great, but you can find my thoughts on each platform below:

• Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on Switch and Switch 2: The Switch version of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake with all its updates is good on Switch 2 with the ability to play at a 60fps target with softer visuals or crisper visuals with a 30fps target. While this is not the best portable version of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake for 60fps play, it is my second choice overall with it coming very close to Steam Deck OLED. For a hybrid experience, free backward compatibility enhancement update makes the Switch version great to play on Switch 2 though. It already benefited from the faster storage with improved load times before the patch, but everything else added makes it a lot easier to recommend. The Switch version on the original Switch is still the same as it was with sub native visuals and performance issues. I don't recommend playing it there if you have another option.
• Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on Steam: If you play on Steam Deck or PC in general, this is the only version you should consider. It plays fantastic on Steam Deck out of the box, looks amazing on the OLED screen, and lets you scale up if you also play on your main PC or docked on Steam Deck. I just wish it wasn't capped to 60fps.
• Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on PS5: If you want to play on your TV, care about trophy support, and don't care about portable play (unless you stream to a PlayStation Portal or phone which is not a native experience), this is the version to get. It has the fastest load times in-game across all platforms as another point of comparison.
• Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on Xbox: If you have access to a PC handheld or play on Xbox Series consoles and Windows 11, the Play Anywhere feature is a big selling point in addition to the Quick Resume feature on Xbox for Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. Other than that, the visuals and performance are the same as PS5, but the load times are not as good as PS5 or Switch 2 now.

Hopefully this helped you decide where you should play Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake and if you already own it, got you to finally play or revisit it with the Switch 2 update. If you are planning to play it before Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake releases, make sure you keep the save data bonuses in mind. I hope the Nintendo Switch 2 native version of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is a bit better technically. 

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is now available for Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam and Xbox on PC), PS5, and Xbox Series. Read our review here and all our guides here.