Which is the best version of the Octopath Traveler 0? Switch 2, PS5, Switch, Steam, PS4, and Xbox compared

Square Enix's Octopath Traveler 0 launches this week worldwide for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam). Ahead of its launch, I've had a chance to check out every version for this comparison feature to help you decide which version you should buy. For this, I've tested Octopath Traveler 0 on PS4, the PS4 version on PS5, the Switch version, the Switch version on Switch 2, the Switch 2 version, and the Steam version across both my Steam Decks and ROG Ally. While I didn't have access to the full game on Xbox pre-release, I used the demo for that platform to test performance and load times across Xbox on PC and Xbox Series X. I will update this when I access to the Xbox version soon. Make sure to also read James' full review of the game here.

Octopath Traveler 0 visuals and performance across PS5, Switch 2, PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox

Square Enix previously revealed the resolution and frame rate targets for Octopath Traveler 0 across different consoles and PC. Back then, there was no clarity on whether the listed targets were for both docked and handheld play when it comes to the Switch and Switch 2 versions. Having now played the full version across almost every platform, I am impressed with some versions and disappointed in others. 

Octopath Traveler 0 targets 120fps on PS5 and Xbox Series X, supports up to 120fps on PC, and basically targets 60fps on everything else with the Switch 1 version being capped to 30fps. The final game doesn't hit the frame rate target on any console right now with minor drops, but some suffer more than others. Depending on your TV or monitor, I have some recommendations for how to play Octopath Traveler 0 across consoles and PC. 

Octopath Traveler 0 on PS5 and Xbox Series X

If you have access to a display that supports VRR, you can play Octopath Traveler 0 for PS5 or Xbox Series X without worrying. The VRR takes care of the drops in frame rate below 120fps that happen very early on. If you don't have access to VRR on PS5 or Xbox, I recommend setting the console to 60fps when you play Octopath Traveler 0. There is no in-game setting to select 120fps or 60fps so you have to do it in the console's display settings. When playing at 60fps, Octopath Traveler 0 on PS5 and Xbox feels perfect based on what I've played.

I also want to note that Octopath Traveler 0 for PS5 has the fastest load times of any version. The Xbox version unfortunately suffers from a long initial load, but it does have Quick Resume support which is always good to see in long RPGs. 

Octopath Traveler 0 Switch 2 vs Switch 1

I specifically wanted to compare and test Octopath Traveler 0's Switch and Switch 2 versions including backward compatibility since I know there are many who would rather buy the Switch 1 version to play on Switch 2 to own the game physically since the Switch 2 version is a Game Key Card release. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend buying the Switch 1 version to play on Switch 2 given the massive downgrade in visuals. While Octopath Traveler 0 for Switch 1 does run more stable on Switch 2, it looks even worse handheld thanks to its lower quality visuals now being displayed on a 1080p screen on Switch 2. If you only play docked on Switch 2, it is an acceptable experience that is in line with other Switch 1 HD-2D games on Switch 2, but I do not recommend it.

Octopath Traveler 0's Switch 2 version targets 60fps both docked and handheld compared to the 30fps target on Switch 1. It also has a higher resolution target in both modes, though it does not look crisp handheld. I was hoping to see a performance and quality mode like Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. I also want to note that with the latest update, Octopath Traveler 0's performance on Switch 2 isn't bad, but it still isn't a locked 60fps experience with some frame pacing issues while exploring and also dips during combat. The latter isn't a huge issue, but hitching during exploration is annoying considering the game isn't even rendering at a very high resolution. 

Octopath Traveler 0 on Switch 1 doesn't even feel good to play handheld with a lot of shimmering and aliasing just while moving around, let alone in combat. I recommend trying out the demo to see if you're ok with it before buying because this is easily the worst HD-2D game on Switch 1 when it comes to its technical aspects. As for performance, the 30fps cap has frame pacing issues as well. I really hope this can be addressed in updates, but it isn't great right now. 

Octopath Traveler 0 full game Steam Deck and ROG Ally impressions

As I covered in my preview, Octopath Traveler 0 is a fantastic experience on Steam Deck out of the box. The only thing I recommend is capping the screen to 60fps at 60hz on the Steam Deck OLED. Beyond that, I've covered everything about the PC port when I did my preview. As for the ROG Ally, I'm happy to report that when using the 25W Turbo Mode on ROG Ally, it delivers a fantastic portable experience with VRR helping a lot when aiming for 120fps. It does not hold a locked 120fps with heavy particle effects dropping to the 80s, but VRR sorts this out when it comes to game feel. If you were hoping to play this on ROG Ally and were worried about performance, it feels great with VRR enabled when aiming for 120fps.

Octopath Traveler 0 load times across Switch 2, PS5, Steam, Xbox, PS4, Xbox on PC, and Switch 1

To test Octopath Traveler 0's load times, I wanted to cover every version on every platform. For this, I tested the time taken to load the title screen from the dashboard and loading an early game save file. For this test, I have Octopath Traveler 0 installed on Switch OLED micro SD card, the Switch 1 version on the Switch 2 internal storage, the Switch 2 version on the Switch 2 internal storage, the PS4 version on my PS4 Pro hard drive, the PS4 version on an external hard drive on PS5, the PS5 version on the console's internal SSD, the Steam (full game) and Xbox on PC (demo) installed to the ROG Ally internal storage, the Xbox version installed on the internal SSD on Xbox Series X, and the Steam version installed on the Steam Deck's internal SSD.

Note: All the load times above are in seconds. The Xbox and Xbox on PC tests are through the demo. I will update this when I get access to the full Xbox version. All other tests are with the full game updated and patched on every platform. 

Octopath Traveler 0, as expected, loads quickest on PS5 across the board with the Steam version on ROG Ally coming second. The Xbox Series X version load fast in-game, but the initial load is longer thanks to it taking longer to boot up and sync as usual. The Switch and PS4 versions are by far the slowest when played on those platforms. The Switch 2 version is comparable to PS4 on PS5 and it is a bit faster than the Steam version on Steam Deck. The Switch version in particular also has long loads in between areas compared to other versions of the game. 

Which version of Octopath Traveler 0 is the best?

On the console side, for playing on TV or a monitor with VRR support, I recommend the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions without changing any settings. The 120fps target with VRR holds up well to deliver a more responsive experience compared to playing at 60fps. If your display does not support VRR, those two are the still the best console versions when you set the console to 60hz or basically disable 120hz on PS5. 

Beyond consoles, the PC version of Octopath Traveler 0 is the best version overall with its support for 4K and 120fps if your hardware can handle it, fast loading, and also being able to play it perfectly on handhelds like the Steam Deck or others. Speaking of the Steam Deck, for portable play, the Steam Deck OLED delivers the best 60fps experience, but you can get a good 120fps experience using the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme or even others like James' MSI handheld. While the  Switch 2 version is a big step up over the Switch version, it isn't as good as any other portable I've tested on unfortunately. 

Which version of Octopath Traveler 0 should you buy today?

Having now tested every version of Octopath Traveler 0 including the Switch version on Switch 2, the PS4 version on PS5, PC version on different handhelds, and with everything covered above, I feel like more time would've benefited this release a lot given the technical issues present. Still, things aren't too bad on most systems with some things to keep in mind. I hope Square Enix continues to work on this over time through updates. You can find my thoughts on Octopath Traveler 0 for each platform below:

• Octopath Traveler 0 on Switch: Octopath Traveler 0 on Switch is sadly not as polished as prior HD-2D releases on the platform. If it was like Octopath Traveler II on Switch, I would have recommended it with some caveats about the technical improvements present on other platforms, but Octopath Traveler 0 in its current state on Switch does not feel good to play. This is with 1.0.2 installed. While you do get a physical copy compared to the Game Key Card on Switch 2, I do not recommend the Switch version of Octopath Traveler 0 unless you have no other way to play it. 
• Octopath Traveler 0 on Switch 2: Octopath Traveler 0 on Switch 2 is a big upgrade over the Switch 1 version with its higher resolution and 60fps frame rate target, but it isn't a perfect experience. While not as polished as the Dragon Quest I & II or even III HD-2D remakes on Switch 2, Octopath Traveler 0 is a fine way to play the game. It definitely feels like a conservative port all things considered though. It is also sadly not the best portable version of Octopath Traveler 0. Both the Switch and Switch 2 have good HD rumble implementations with the latter being excellent. 
• Octopath Traveler 0 on Steam: If you play on Steam Deck or PC in general, Octopath Traveler 0 for Steam is best version. It plays perfectly on Steam Deck out of the box at 60fps while also looking amazing on the OLED display. If you play on a high end PC or even more powerful PC handheld, you can even play with a 120fps target.
• Octopath Traveler 0 on PS5 and PS4: Since this a combined purchase digitally, I am covering Octopath Traveler 0 on PS4 and PS5 together. 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), Octopath Traveler 0 for PS5 is the best version with the fastest load times as well. I don't recommend playing the PS4 version on PS5, but if you do play on PS4 Pro, it is a good experience that lines up with the Switch 2 version docked. I also want to note the PS5's DualSense haptics are implemented well here.
• Octopath Traveler 0 on Xbox: If you have access to a PC handheld or play on Xbox Series consoles and Windows 11, Octopath Traveler 0 is a Play Anywhere release letting you play on your console or PC at home and then pick up your progress on your PC handheld. The only real issue with this version, as with most Xbox versions of multi-platform games I test, is the load times and initial syncing taking longer than other versions right now. I also want to note the rumble implementation is very good on Xbox Series X.

Hopefully this helped you decide where you should buy and play Octopath Traveler 0 assuming you have access to multiple platforms. If you don't and only play on a single platform, I hope this helped inform you with what sort of experience you should expect. You can also try the demo to see things for yourself in case you're curious about a specific platform after my comparison. 

Octopath Traveler 0 launches on December 4 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam).