A surprise PC update makes ‘Chrono Trigger’ playable on ultrawide screen displays

For nearly 30 years, Square Enix’s Chrono Trigger has stood tall as one of the defining releases of the SNES era and JRPG genre. In a medium that has dramatically evolved over the past three decades, it’s one of those rare games that still feels as fresh and vital today as it did in 1995. And now there’s even more of a reason to revisit this gem if you own an ultrawide monitor.

Earlier this week, Square Enix updated the Steam version of Chrono Trigger for the first time in four years. Spotted by Kotaku, the update adds support for 21:9 resolutions, “improved” d-pad controls, and a handful of user interface improvements among other quality of life changes. The addition of ultrawide screen support is particularly notable since it’s a feature that’s rare to find on retro ports and even some modern games – Elden Ring, for instance, doesn’t come with native 21:9 support.

The PC version of Chrono Trigger has come a long way since Square first released it in 2018. At the time, the company was rightfully criticized for releasing a lazy port. At launch, it included interface elements that were directly lifted from the Android and iOS releases. To its credit, however, Square spent the next year polishing the release, and following this week’s update, you can safely say the PC version is one of the definitive ways to play the classic.