XC2 Recomp vs XCX Recomp: Architecture & Lineage

Q: Can I install XC2 Recomp and XCX Recomp on the same PC?

Yes. Each project uses its own installer (XC2-Setup.exe vs XCX-Setup.exe), its own executable (xc2.exe vs xcx.exe), and its own portable install folder and %LOCALAPPDATA% launcher config.

How AksharDP/xc2-recomp (v0.1.12) and jmars125/xcx-recomp (v0.1.21) adapt the same ARM64 static lifter and Vulkan 1.3 runtime for two generations of Monolith Soft’s Switch engine.

Download XC2 & XCX Builds Open jmars125/xcx-recomp

XC2 Recomp: v0.1.12 (329 stars)
XCX Recomp: v0.1.21 (313 stars)
Ancestor: valentderah/totk-pc-recomp
License: MIT (zero Nintendo assets)

Hexagonal emerald crystal prism in matrix, echoing the Aegis Core Crystal geometry

Side-by-side comparison: XC2 Recomp vs XCX Recomp

AksharDP/xc2-recomp was forked from jmars125/xcx-recomp in November 2026 to bring Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2017) onto the same static recompilation foundation built for Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (2025). While both projects share the installer architecture, SDL3 input layer, and NVN-to-Vulkan 1.3 command processor, each targets different Title IDs, archive layouts, and graphics pipelines:

Attribute	XC2 Recomp (`AksharDP/xc2-recomp`)	XCX Recomp (`jmars125/xcx-recomp`)
Target Game	Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Nintendo Switch, 2017)	Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (Nintendo Switch, 2025)
Required Update & DLC	Update 3.0.1 (US/EU `0100E95004038000`) or 3.0.0 (JP `0100F3400332C000`) + 7 optional DLC packs	Update 2.0.0 + optional Exploration Support Package DLC
Latest Release & Date	v0.1.12 (November 9, 2026) · 13 releases	v0.1.21 (November 12, 2026) · 40 releases
Windows x64 Package	`XC2-Setup-0.1.12-windows.zip` (182.3 MB)	`XCX-Setup-0.1.21-windows.zip` (145.3 MB)
Linux / Steam Deck	`XC2-Setup-0.1.12-linux.AppImage` (218.7 MB) · native support since `v0.1.6`	`XCX-Setup-0.1.21-linux.AppImage` (229.8 MB) · Linux candidate builds active
Setup & Final Disk Space	~25 GiB free during setup · ~20 GiB after	~36 GiB free during setup · ~20 GiB after
Executable & Config	`xc2.exe` / `xc2` · `xc2.ini` · `xc2-install.json`	`xcx.exe` / `xcx` · `xcx.ini` · `xcx-install.json`
Framerate & Physics	60 FPS default (30–360 FPS) + `v0.1.11` jiggle-bone/hair/cloth bounce fix + cloud sea frame-time scroll	60 FPS default (30–360 FPS; above 60 experimental) + 60 FPS mod patches by Fl4sh_ & StevensND
Upscaling & HDR	AMD FSR 1 spatial + AMD FSR 3.1.6 / FSR 4.1.2 temporal upscaling + FSR Frame Generation	AMD FSR 1 spatial + HDR10 output with peak, game, and HUD brightness controls
Mod & Cheat System	Switch emulator / Atmosphere RomFS (`aoc1:/`), `.pchtxt`/`.ips` ExeFS patches, `4F5C96E2D97F45AC.txt` cheats, built-in God mode & Insta kill	Experimental Lua source packages (F1/Esc → Mods) + trusted native providers
RecompLauncher Support	recomplauncher.com/game/xc2-recomp-2	recomplauncher.com/game/xcx-recomp + Recomp Achievements

Why XCX-specific keys in xc2.ini do nothing in XC2

Because XC2 Recomp inherited its configuration parser from XCX Recomp, a few legacy keys mentioned in older community posts belong exclusively to Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition:

realtime, cloth_realtime, and highfps_fix under [frame rate] are XCX settings and have no effect in xc2.ini (documented on line 15 of xc2.ini.example).
Instead, XC2 Recomp implements its own dedicated high-framerate fixes directly in its patch table (recomp/patches-v301.txt), including frame-time cloud sea scrolling (v0.1.1) and jiggle-bone/cloth/hair physics preservation above 30 FPS (v0.1.11).
Similarly, patches-upd.txt and the v121/v143 patch tables in the repository belong to XCX and are unused during XC2 builds.

Shared static recompilation architecture

Both projects trace their technical lineage to TotK Recomp (valentderah/totk-pc-recomp) and draw from open-source Switch research including LAS Recomp, MacNativeGames, SavageWindRecomp, Ryujinx, deko3d, hactool, and Switchbrew:

AOT ARM64 Lifter: recomp/gen.py disassembles the Switch ExeFS main and rtld/sdk modules and emits C functions that preserve guest register state while compiling to native x86-64 machine code with AVX2 (-march=x86-64-v3).
Guest Memory & Vulkan Pools: Maps guest memory pools to Vulkan via VK_EXT_external_memory_host (memory = import) or per-frame mirror copies (memory = mirror) managed by Vulkan Memory Allocator (VMA).
Kernel & Thread Scheduling: Emulates Switch Horizon OS SVCs and virtual cores in user space, adding async_preempt = 1 and core_float = 1 so worker threads pinned to virtual core 1 can float across host CPU cores during town streaming.
Audio, Video & Compression: Links SDL3 for windowing/audio/gamepad input, Dear ImGui for the F1 settings menu and F10 performance overlay, libopus for audio streams, libvpx for .webm cutscenes, and native host Zstandard (zstd_native = 1) for fast asset decompression.

Recommended PC controllers

XC2 Recomp uses SDL3 controller input with automatic Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStation button prompt generation (plus custom rumble curve and Xbox impulse trigger options):

Controller	Best For in XC2 Recomp	Hardware Advantage	Link
8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless	Nintendo layout & Windows/Deck dock	Zero-drift TMR sticks, charging dock, native Switch/XInput mode toggle	View on Amazon
GameSir Cyclone 2	1000 Hz Blade combo canceling	TMR sticks, micro-switch ABXY buttons and 1000 Hz wireless dongle	View on Amazon
Sony DualSense	PlayStation button prompts	Automatic PlayStation icon rendering in XC2 tutorials and Driver Arts HUD	View on Amazon
Xbox Wireless Controller	Xbox prompts & impulse triggers	Supports rumble_triggers = 1 in xc2.ini with redrawn Xbox button glyphs	View on Amazon

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Mountain peaks rising above a dense sea of clouds at sunrise — Karst peaks emerging above a morning sea of clouds, echoing the Cloud Sea Titans of Alrest

Desktop gaming PC workstation with dual monitors and tempered glass chassis — Windows 10/11 x64 desktop workstation for Vulkan 1.3, AMD FSR 3.1/4 and 3040x1710 internal rendering

Macro view of a handheld mainboard PCB and multi-core GPU silicon package — AVX2 CPU and Vulkan 1.3 VK_EXT_external_memory_host pipeline

Common questions

Can I install XC2 Recomp and XCX Recomp on the same PC?

Yes. Each project uses its own installer (XC2-Setup.exe vs XCX-Setup.exe), its own executable (xc2.exe vs xcx.exe), and its own portable install folder and %LOCALAPPDATA% launcher config.

Does XC2 Recomp use XCX-Setup tools when building from source?

Only in developer mode (when running from a bare git checkout without a release folder): installer/layout.py can borrow embedded Python, llvm-mingw, and Ninja from an unpacked setup release via XC2_SETUP_TOOLS. End users running the release ZIP or AppImage already have every tool bundled inside.