Which Xeno games should you play before Xenoblade Chronicles 3?

gamepur.com:

Despite its name, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 isn’t actually the third game in the Xenoblade series. If you want to be really technical, there are about 10 or so games in the wider Xeno franchise if you include Xenogears and the Xenosaga series.

RPG sequels sometimes demand an intimate level of knowledge of the series’ lore to fully understand what’s going on. So, for anyone who might be interested in jumping into the Xeno series, here’s a simple rundown of which games you can play before Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and whether you even should.

As the first Xenoblade game, this is arguably the perfect starting point for newcomers. While it originally released for the Nintendo Wii and saw a New Nintendo 3DS port, the Nintendo Switch version is the optimal way to experience it. Aside from being much more readily available, it has the best visuals and an epilogue titled Future Connected.

The second numbered Xenoblade game, this one is also easily available on the Switch. It’s not a direct sequel to the first game, however, and has an entirely different setting and main cast. So, you could feasibly start here and play the first game afterward. It is recommended that you play both these games before jumping into Xenoblade Chronicles 3, since developer Monolith Soft has said it “connects the futures of the two previous mainline Xenoblade Chronicles games.”

To summarize, you really only need to play the first two numbered titles. Even then, Monolith Soft has also stated that no prior knowledge of the series is necessary to understand the main story, so new fans can start their journey with Xenoblade