Final Fantasy VII Rebirth faces Switch 2 issues

Square Enix released *Final Fantasy VII Rebirth* on Nintendo Switch 2 on Wednesday, and early hands-on analyses from gaming outlets focused less on the novelty of the port than on the compromises required to make it run. NintendoEverything, summarizing a Digital Foundry technical review published June 2, said the game targets 30 frames per second and uses dynamic resolution ranging from 540p to 1080p when docked, reconstructing to 1080p with DLSS. Indy100, in a June 2 performance review, said the game was “too ambitious” for the hardware at launch and pointed to visible texture issues, cutscene transition problems and frame-rate drops. ### What are reviewers saying actually goes wrong on Switch 2? NintendoEverything reported that *Rebirth* shows reduced texture quality, shorter shadow draw distances, lower object detail and more visible pop-in on Switch 2 compared with PlayStation 5. The outlet said those reductions often matched the Xbox Series S version, while noting that character models remained a relative strength and that core world systems and cutscenes were intact. (nintendoeverything.com) Indy100’s Jake Brigstock wrote that some textures “do not look good at all” on Switch 2 and said cutscenes sometimes dip to black or white between cuts, creating what he described as jump-cut-like interruptions. His review said the game’s technical issues were more pronounced in practice than the raw specifications suggest. ### What are the key numbers behind the port? (nintendoeverything.com) Digital Foundry’s figures, as relayed by NintendoEverything, put the docked internal resolution at 540p to 1080p and the handheld range at 380p to 756p, with DLSS used to reconstruct the image. The same report said both modes target 30 frames per second and that portable mode keeps the same settings profile as docked mode. (indy100.com) Indy100 cited the same baseline targets and said DLSS does “a lot of heavy lifting” in the Switch 2 version. The outlet said those numbers are notable because *Rebirth* is much larger in scope than *Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade*, which had drawn stronger technical praise on the same platform earlier this year. ### Did Square Enix improve anything before launch? (nintendoeverything.com) NintendoEverything said cutscenes that had suffered hitches of up to 100 milliseconds in the demo were “greatly improved” in the launch build examined by Digital Foundry. The report also said Square Enix improved frame rate in NPC-dense areas and in open zones compared with the demo, though it added that NPC density had been reduced as part of those changes. (indy100.com) Indy100 had written in an April 28 preview that the port looked “very impressive but not yet perfect” after about 30 minutes of hands-on time, suggesting the final June review reflected a more complete test of the game under release conditions. ### How does this fit into Square Enix’s broader Switch 2 push? Square Enix announced in February that *Final Fantasy VII Rebirth* would come to Nintendo Switch 2 on June 3, alongside Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC. (nintendoeverything.com) The company said on Wednesday that the game is now available on Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation 5 and PC, putting the first two entries in the remake project across modern platforms after the earlier Switch 2 release of *Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade*. (indy100.com) Square Enix’s official store lists the Nintendo Switch 2 edition at $49.99 in the United States. The company’s release materials also said the Switch 2 version includes support features such as “Streamlined Progression,” while the launch trailer and store pages now serve as the company’s main public materials for the new port. (na.store.square-enix-games.com) (press.na.square-enix.com)