PSA: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has a handy shortcut for HUD-free screenshots

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Don’t let maps and bars get in the way of your perfect shot

I’ve been slowly whiling away the hours over the last few weeks with Xenoblade Chronicles 3, a fun and incredibly scenic RPG. And this week, I picked up a little trick that I wish I had known about from the get-go: a shortcut for easy, HUD-less Xenoblade screenshots.

In most games, I tend to be a screenshot fiend. Part of that is, well, part of the job; if I know I’m going to want to write about something later, having a bevy of good screenshots is useful. But I also like to catalogue my journey, remembering specific moments, lines, and vistas from throughout my time there.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has some good camera options, including one that lets you essentially go full-on first-person mode. But Nintendo of Europe tweeted out this handy tip that changed my Xenoblade screenshot life for the better. If you press the L and R buttons simultaneously, you can easily snap a screenshot without the heads-up display.

We don’t know who needs to hear this, but you can capture HUD-free screenshots in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 pressing the L + R Buttons are the same time. Give it a try! pic.twitter.com/gsW5MEZ7a7

— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) August 15, 2022

After seeing this, I went directly into my game and started trying it. And indeed, it’s basically a macro. The game dips out the HUD, snaps a screenshot, and re-ups the display. It’s startling how well this works in real-time; I was a little worried I’d have to give it a bit of lead time, but no, it happens pretty darn fast.

A photo album of adventure

Now I’ve been revisiting all the places I blew through in my early hours of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 to get new screenshots. Capturing some of the massive landscapes, beautiful views, and colossal sights makes for a fun diversion from the main plot.

It helps that Xenoblade Chronicles 3, on top of being quite a good game, is also a very scenic game. It feels like Monolith Soft ekes incredible views out of the Nintendo Switch, and now, I’ve got a great tool for preserving them without too much fuss.