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| Banner for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Switch 2 demo is shown |
The gaming world collectively raised an eyebrow when Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth — a sprawling, open-world epic that pushed the PS5 to its limits — would land on the Nintendo Switch 2. It seemed like an impossible ask. Yet, following a surprise demo drop for the upcoming June 3rd release, fans finally have answers. And the initial verdict? It’s a classic tale of "wow, this is impressive" meeting "okay, we need to talk about those frame drops."
Early testers and outlets who got hands-on time with an early build of the Switch 2 version are reporting an experience that captures the magic of the RPG, but with some undeniable technical turbulence, especially when compared to the near-flawless port of Remake Intergrade.
The Frame Rate Fight: 30 FPS With a Catch
As expected, Square Enix targeted a 30 frames-per-second experience for the handheld hybrid. However, keeping that target locked in is proving to be a significant challenge. According to analysis from GVG, which was able to test an early version, the game frequently stumbles when the action heats up. Their findings showed frame rates often dipping into the 20s, most noticeably when traversing the game’s vast open-world areas. For a game that relies on fluid, cinematic combat and exploration, this can make Cloud’s journey feel noticeably less smooth than his adventure in Midgar.
To see the early performance in action, you can watch GVG’s hands-on preview on their YouTube channel here.
More Glitches Than a Trip to the Gold Saucer
Beyond raw performance, the preview build came with a few digital gremlins. Jake Brigstock of Indy100 shared a particularly concerning hands-on account after spending 30 minutes with the demo.
While Brigstock noted that most cutscenes and battles held up reasonably well, he encountered several critical issues. “Before I could even get into playing Kalm though, I did experience a crash,” he writes. Even more frustrating was a cutscene that simply refused to load, resulting in a permanent black screen that forced a full game restart.
Pop-in was also apparent, with objects and textures abruptly appearing on screen. In a telling comparison, Brigstock explains that he “experienced more hiccups playing this early build for 30 minutes than I did in the whole time I've played Remake” on the Switch 2. However, he is careful to note that this is an early build, and there is hope the final June code will resolve these issues.
Resolution and Visual Clarity: A Blurry Picture?
The debate over resolution is also heating up. When Digital Foundry analyzed early footage back in February, they suspected the docked mode uses DLSS to upscale from a base resolution of 720p to 1080p. Taking the game on the go hits the visual quality harder. Over on the Switch 2 subreddit, early impressions from the 45 GB demo have been mixed, with some Redditors finding the final image more blurry than they had hoped. It seems the compromises required to get the sequel running are more visible than they were with Intergrade.
You can read the full community reactions and comparisons to the PS5 Pro on the Switch 2 subreddit discussion thread here.
What the Director Said: Compromises Were Inevitable
To be fair, this isn't a shock. Trilogy director Naoki Hamaguchi was upfront from the beginning that performance compromises would be necessary. The open-world environments in Rebirth are exponentially more demanding than the corridor-laden scenery of Remake Intergrade.
Given that context, initial feedback suggests Square Enix has done an admirable job getting the core experience to run at all. The character models, shaders, and sheer scale of the world are intact. But the path to a flawless version is clear: bug fixes, draw distance optimization, and a stabilization of that frame rate before the June 3rd release date.
For a deeper dive into the performance comparison between the Switch 2 and the PS5 Pro, check out Jake Brigstock's full preview over at Indy100.
The Final Verdict (So Far)
The Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Switch 2 demo is a welcome surprise and a technical marvel in progress. It proves the game can run on Nintendo hardware. But for now, it runs like a game that needs a few more weeks in the oven. If Square Enix can iron out the crashes and stabilize that open-world frame rate, they will have another winner on their hands. If not, players may face a tough choice between portability and performance.