Which is the best version of Dragon Quest XI S? Switch 2, PC, PS4, Xbox, PS5, Steam Deck, & AYN Thor compared

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is getting yet another port this week with Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition launching for Switch 2. It is the rare (if not the only) game to get a 10 three times on RPG Site across our original review, Switch review of S, and PS4 review of S over time. Ahead of its Switch 2 launch, I've had a chance to play the port for over a week and also revisit Dragon Quest XI and Dragon Quest XI S across its PS4, Steam, Xbox, and Switch 1 versions. I don't have a capture setup for 3DS so I will leave that version out of the comparison today, but I loved the 30 hours I put into it years ago.

With that out of the way, Dragon Quest XI S on Switch 2 is Square Enix's first current generation port of the game with it only being playable on PS5 and Xbox Series via backward compatibility. I was curious to see how it would look and feel handheld/docked and also whether the port was good enough since there is no upgrade path or save transfer for existing owners.

In this Dragon Quest XI S comparison feature, I'm going to help you find the best version of DQ11 to play in 2026 for you going over every version I have access to on multiple consoles and handhelds. I will cover visuals, performance, load times, features, and more here.

Dragon Quest XI release timeline across vanilla, S, and every port

Before getting to the versions and other differences, Dragon Quest XI has had an interesting release timeline across platforms. 

• July 2017: Dragon Quest XI launches in Japan for PS4 and Nintendo 3DS.
• September 2018: Dragon Quest XI launches worldwide for PS4 and PC Steam.
• September 2019: Dragon Quest XI S launches for Nintendo Switch featuring lots of added content, a new mode, quality of life improvements, and various other improvements. 
• December 2020: Dragon Quest XI S launches for PS4, Xbox One, and Steam featuring the same new content and improvements as the Switch release, but visuals cut back compared to the original Dragon Quest XI Steam and PS4 versions. 
• March 2021: Dragon Quest XIS launches on Google Stadia.
• September 2026: Dragon Quest XI S launches for Nintendo Switch 2.

Dragon Quest XI features across vanilla, S, and the new ports covering Switch 2, Steam, PS5, PS4, Xbox, and more

To keep things simple here, I will focus on the English releases of Dragon Quest XI and Dragon Quest XI S. This means the initial release was the PS4 and Steam versions of Dragon Quest XI are the versions I will start with. For the English release of Dragon Quest XI, Square Enix added a new English voiceover option, UI improvements, sprinting, the new Draconian Quest difficulty options, and more. It was already improved over the Japanese debut release, but this was only a taste of what we'd see a year later when Dragon Quest XI was ported to Switch 1.

Dragon Quest XI S on Switch was an impressive release in many ways. Not only was it ambitious as a port already delivering an excellent version of a fantastic JRPG, but it did it by bringing so many additions and new features that it was hard to recommend the PS4 and PC versions with Dragon Quest XI S available on Switch. These additions and features include new quality of life improvements (quick commands, skip cut-scenes, a new 2D mode letting you play the whole game in it, notable content from the Japanese 3DS release, new character-specific scenarios, the orchestral soundtrack option, a Japanese voice-acting option, and more.

The new Switch 2 and prior PS4, Xbox, and Steam versions of Dragon Quest XI S are all based on the Switch 1 version in features and content, but there are differences when it comes to image quality, performance, and more. As for in-game cosmetics, the Wolf Wear outfit that was only on Switch 1, is included in the Switch 2 version.

Dragon Quest XI S visuals compared across Switch 2, PS4, Switch 1, Xbox, and PS5 Pro

While Dragon Quest XI S was one of the rare cases a game adding Definitive Edition to its name was actually justified, it wasn't a net positive in every way though. The visuals saw cuts on Switch 1 from PS4 and PC. These were noticeable in lighting, textures, draw distance for some characters/objects, and character models. Obviously the Switch port was also lower resolution and had worse performance, but the major changes were in lighting, character models, and textures.

These also apply to all future versions of Dragon Quest XI S (or the only versions available today across platforms) on PS4 and PC as well. The PS4 and PC versions of DQ11 S alongside the Xbox and Switch 2 versions have downgrades from the original PS4/PC releases in lighting, model quality, and more, but they deliver notable performance and image quality improvements depending on the platform.

For some background, the PS4 version of DQ11 S on PS4 Pro ran in between 1080p and 1440p across the board even when played on PS5. The Xbox One version on Xbox One X on the other hand looked a lot better when played on my 1440p monitor and it was the best console version with the best visuals and 60fps. Note that both the PS4 and Xbox One versions run at locked 60fps when played on PS5 or Xbox Series X via backward compatibility.

Moving over to Switch 2, I'm a bit disappointed that Square Enix didn't deliver something that is consistently better than the last generation versions. Basically there are caveats now. So while quality mode at a 30fps target on Switch 2 docked is better visually than the PS4 version on PS4 Pro, it runs at 60fps and has better texture filtering that helps a lot. The floor textures on Switch 2 look really bad in the distance. The Xbox One X version at 60fps is better than Switch 2 version in its 30fps quality mode docked as well.

Note: For the two comparisons above, I used my 4K capture card to get images from all versions across all versions to show the difference in shadows, texture filtering, resolution, textures, and more.

The performance mode on Switch 2 docked is well below PS4 Pro visually. I also noticed distant shadows load closer to the player on Switch 2 compared to PS4 and Xbox One even in the quality mode docked. The Switch 2 does a lot better with other current generation games so this port feels lacking when it comes to docked play compared to older consoles. It isn't bad, but I was hoping for more from Square Enix here given the full price purchase.

Dragon Quest XI S on Switch 2 vs Switch 1, Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and AYN Thor

Before getting to Switch 2, Dragon Quest XI S can't hit 60fps at native res on Steam Deck or AYN Thor. The Switch 1 version also drops below 30fps quite often in some areas. I found the best way to play the PC version is aiming for 40fps (Steam Deck LCD) or 45fps (Steam Deck OLED) with tweaked settings that almost all use the highest possible ones. The ROG Ally at 1080p using the maximum settings is almost always over 40fps and the screen's VRR helps. Turning a few settings down a bit, including resolution, delivers a solid 60fps experience and you can even get well over 60fps on lower settings. I don't recommend it given how the game looks below 720p, but you have the option. On AYN Thor, I have the max model, and I opted to run at 65% render scale for 1080p while using anti-aliasing (1), post-processing (2), shadows (2), and capping the frame rate to 30fps. 

On Switch 1, Dragon Quest XI S ran at around 540p as per Digital Foundry handheld. This version had a lot more cuts, but it remains an impressive conversion given the scope of the game and the Switch 1's power. The Switch 2, even in performance mode handheld, delivers a big upgrade over the Switch 1 version. Not only does it run with twice the frame rate target, but it is just a much better visual experience. Dragon Quest XI S on Switch 2 makes smart cuts to deliver a 60fps experience, though it doesn't look as nice as the PC version does at 720p on Steam Deck. It sees cuts to some settings and I appreciate having a 60fps portable console option now, but this should've been a better port considering it is a brand-new port of an older game.

Dragon Quest XI S performance and frame rate compared across Switch 2, PS4, Switch 1, Xbox, Steam Deck, PC, and PS5 Pro

Dragon Quest XI targets 30fps on PS4 and PS4 Pro with the PC port of the original delivering uncapped frame rates. Dragon Quest XI S on Switch 1 targets 30fps, but the PS4 and Xbox One versions delivered a 60fps target on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. When played via backward compatibility on PS5 and Xbox Series X, the 60fps target is basically locked. Note that there is no native PS5 or Xbox Series version of Dragon Quest XI or Dragon Quest XI S as of this writing. The PC version of Dragon Quest XI S again has uncapped frame rate options.

I want to note that Square Enix has made it so that the target frame rate also applies to the menus and cursor movement. This means everything feels more sluggish when you play with a 30fps target or on platforms that can only target 30fps. This is why having 60fps (or more) matters even in a turn-based game like Dragon Quest XI. UI responsiveness isn't something you can write off. It makes a big difference even for basic combat menus. 

Dragon Quest XI S load times compared across Switch 2, Switch, Steam Deck, PC, Xbox, PS4, and PS5 Pro

To measure load times, I tested both the vanilla and S releases of DQ11. I installed the PS4 version of Dragon Quest XI S to the PS4 Pro internal hard drive, the PS5 Pro internal storage, the original vanilla release on the PS4 Pro, the original vanilla release on PS5 Pro internal storage, Dragon Quest XI S for Xbox One on Xbox Series X (tested on an external hard drive and the internal storage), the PC versions of the vanilla and S releases on ROG Ally and Steam Deck internal storage, the 3DS game played via cartridge on a New 3DS, Dragon Quest XI S for Steam on the AYN Thor, the Xbox Play Anywhere release on ROG Ally internal storage, the Switch 1 version on both Switch OLED SD Card and Switch 2 internal storage, and finally the new native Switch 2 release on the Switch 2 internal storage. The results below are in seconds and I measured the time to load the title screen from dashboard and the time to load a save early on. 

I find it impressive how responsive and fast the 3DS version is compared to all the others. With that out of the way, the new native Switch 2 version delivers an experience that is close to the PS4 and Xbox One versions when played via backward compatibility on faster storage, but it is a lot faster than those versions on their target consoles. The Switch 2 version is very close to the Steam release played on ROG Ally and faster than the initial load for Steam Deck. It would've been interesting to see how a potential Xbox Series and PS5 native release would be compared to the newest version right now, Switch 2.

Dragon Quest XI S on Switch 1 vs Switch 2 covering boost mode and the new port

Since there is no upgrade path or save transfer, I wanted to showcase how the Switch 2 native release looks compared with the Switch 1 version played on Switch 2 using handheld boost mode. I still think the Switch 2 native release is the way to go unless you have a lot of time spent with the Switch 1 version already. For newcomers the version to buy out of these two is obvious based on the comparison below:

Note: I used the Switch 2's accessibility zoom options to show how the game looks in different configurations on Switch 2 handheld.

Dragon Quest XI S 2D mode on Switch 2 vs Switch 1 and PS4

When I tested the 2D mode, the PS4, Switch 2 docked, and Switch 1 docked versions were identical including pixel scaling and the fonts used. The Switch 2 version runs at 60fps in 2D mode with 30fps cut-scenes just like the PS4 version and Switch 1 version docked. The font issues present in other versions are still here though. While the sprites and environment look good, the fonts look blurry. I've included a screenshot of the Switch 2 version docked below in 2D mode to show how everything is scaled well but the fonts look bad (just like on other platforms in the West).

Dragon Quest XI on 3DS

The 3DS version of the original game doesn't have English support and I only recommend importing it if you can read Japanese. I don't, and ended up using translation software on my phone in the 30 hours I played. I recommend watching AustinSV's amazing video on DQ11 here to see how the 3DS port shapes up. I have no way to capture 3DS footage so I didn't include it in today's comparison aside from testing load times.

Which is the best version of Dragon Quest XI S?

On the console side, the Xbox One version played on Xbox Series X is still the best version for TV play. Given the compromises in the PS4 version (cutbacks compared to Xbox One X) and Switch 2 version (30fps with good visuals or 60fps with worse image quality), they are both below Xbox One played on Xbox Series X or Xbox One X. The PC version is easily the best version overall though.

For portable play, Dragon Quest XI S on ROG Ally followed by the Switch 2 version if you value 60fps. The Steam version on Steam Deck delivers better visuals than Switch 2 when in its performance mode, but it can't hit a stable 60fps. This is one of those cases where if you are ok with the visual cutbacks and lower resolution, the Switch 2 is the way to go over Steam Deck for 60fps, but I wouldn't bother with the Switch 2 version for 30fps given other PC handhelds.

Which version of Dragon Quest XI S should you buy?

Everyone has their own priorities for what they want, so I'm going to list the advantages and disadvantages of every single version of Dragon Quest XI S as a conclusion to this feature below:

• Dragon Quest XI S on Switch: The original definitive edition release is still good on Switch 1 and is a very impressive conversion for the handheld. It is is now the worst way to play Dragon Quest XI S. Note that there is no upgrade path or save transfer to the Switch 2 release, but it does have a physical version. I wouldn't recommend this for newcomers unless you exclusively play on Switch 1 and have no other option.
• Dragon Quest XI S on Switch 2: If you haven't played Dragon Quest XI S at all or want to replay it at 60fps on the go, this is the version to get. While I wish Square Enix did more with the port, it is definitely a good way to play the game with 30fps docked and 60fps handheld. The 60fps mode docked looks a bit too cut down for my liking. Keep in mind the physical release is a Game Key Card if that matters to you. 
• Dragon Quest XI S on Steam: If you play on Steam Deck or PC in general, this is the only version you should consider. It plays fantastic on both my Steam Decks out of the box and is a very good PC release that scales well above the console versions. It also has a robust mod scene. 
• Dragon Quest XI S on PS4 (for PS5): If you want to play on your TV and don't own an Xbox Series X, and don't care about portable play (unless you stream to a PlayStation Portal or phone), this is the version to get. It also has a physical copy.
• Dragon Quest XI S on Xbox: Not only is the Xbox version of Dragon Quest XI S Xbox Play Anywhere, but it delivers the best console release for playing on TV with visual upgrades even over the Switch 2 release in quality mode while targeting twice the frame rate. Dragon Quest XI S on Xbox also supports Quick Resume on Xbox Series X, includes a handheld version if you play on PC handhelds like the ROG Ally, and generally is the way to go on the console side. The one down side is the longer load times thanks to the syncing. It also has a physical copy on Xbox One. 
• Dragon Quest XI on 3DS: I don't recommend this unless you can read Japanese, but this remains the most fascinating version of Dragon Quest XI so far. I hope it gets a fan translation one day. 

Hopefully this helped you decide where you should get Dragon Quest XI S and if you already own it, got you to finally play or revisit it because it is one of my favorite Square Enix RPGs in years despite the soundtrack. I hope we see native PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in the future as well. Until then, the Switch 2 is the version I'm going to stick to for my replay.

Dragon Quest XI S is now available on Switch 2, PS4, Xbox, Switch 1, and PC (Steam, Xbox PC)