Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Review - Yet Another Masterful Port For The Handheld Console

When Final Fantasy 7 Remake first launched during the twilight years of the PS4 generation back in 2020, it felt like the ambitious RPG was ultimately being held back by Sony’s current capabilities. Even the PS4 Pro sounded like a jet engine struggling to take off whenever it tried running FF7 with its performance locked at 30 frames per second at a checkerboarded 4K resolution. Despite these shortcomings though, it still looked incredible.

Nobody is going to forget the infamously blurry door texture that adorned the door of Cloud’s Sector 7 apartment. That thing simply refused to load in no matter what.

The sprawling city of Midgar was beautifully realised and reimagined with greater scope and capability than ever before. Square Enix took the first few hours of the classic original and expanded it into a fully-fledged experience. It had some obvious filler yet weirdly lacked side content, but these shortcomings were easy to ignore in the face of a blockbuster main narrative. It was one of the best looking games of the generation in spite of its flaws we would come to appreciate more and more with time.

Intergrade for the PS5 and PC improved performance, resolution, and visuals while bringing an abundance of new content to the experience. A version of the game which is now landing on the Nintendo Switch 2, and after spending a couple of weeks taking it for a test run, I find myself feeling thoroughly impressed.

How Does Final Fantasy 7 Remake Look And Run On Nintendo Switch 2?

Since it broke cover in the middle of last year, Switch 2 has continued to go from strength to strength in spite of its lacking first-party library. As Nintendo toils away on exclusives set to arrive later this year, third-party developers and publishers are bulking out its selection with a cavalcade of capable ports. Bangers like Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Star Wars Outlaws, and now Final Fantasy 7 Remake have taught me never to underestimate the hybrid console.

The original Switch was home to similar ports, but so many of these felt like the last resort for players who didn’t have access to any other platform. Can you play The Witcher 3 on Switch? You sure can. But should you? Absolutely not.

But now, with more power under the hood, Switch 2 is a truly justifiable place to enjoy these games without feeling like you’ll be missing out on visuals and performance as a consequence. Final Fantasy 7 Remake feels on par and at times surpasses the original PS4 version and that alone feels like a monumental achievement.

I don’t have any means of measuring specific resolution metrics on the Nintendo Switch 2, but Final Fantasy 7 Remake appears to be outputting at 1080p in docked mode with DLSS to ensure higher image quality and portable play takes advantage of a dynamic solution to ensure consistent performance. It’s relatively easy to notice small changes in overall image quality while moving through busy areas or taking part in hectic boss flights. For example, the opening Scorpion Sentinel boss encounter holds up remarkably well, but there is obvious artefacting in certain particle effects, while smoke, fire, and lightning feels like a notable downgrade compared to the PS5 Pro.

Some visual compromises aside though, this still feels exactly like Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The opening sequence is awash with the same mixture of bright blues, greens, and a sense of scale that makes Midgar feel truly enormous. One of the only shortcomings I noticed while playing on a 4K OLED display was distinct aliasing in the hair of characters like Cloud, Tifa, or Aerith. It’s noticeable even from a distance, since these assets are being rendered at far lower resolutions. But just like in Final Fantasy 15, it’s a part of the game you get used to.

In terms of performance, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is locked at 30 frames per second on the Switch 2, and there is no option to toggle between visual and performance modes. You are getting a single option here, but thankfully, excellent frame pacing means that, despite what appears to be a low performance figure, the action still manages to feel incredibly smooth. During my several hours of testing, there were few occasions where I felt the action slowing down or the circumstances of the hardware were getting in my way. Like the PS4 way back in 2020, the game feels exceptionally optimised to never get in its own way.

Portable play is great, although not personally how I’d choose to play a game like this. Very little latency can be sensed in moment-to-moment gameplay, while the visuals are especially vibrant on the handheld screen. This is quite a demanding title, however, so don’t expect an excess of battery life when playing Remake on the move.

Should I Buy Final Fantasy 7 Remake On The Nintendo Switch 2?

The Switch 2 version also comes packaged with Episode Intermission, an expansion that was previously exclusive to PS5 and PC. It makes use of larger spaces and slightly more complicated graphical effects that weren’t possible on last-generation consoles, meaning that it should theoretically be the most demanding part of this package. After playing it for over an hour though I noticed very little performance drops or graphical dissonance, even though Yuffie Kisaragi is a far more complex and effects-heavy character while in combat.

I’d recommend playing Episode Intermission after you’ve finished the base game, considering it spoils some major plot points and feels like a prologue for Rebirth.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake has always been a visually inconsistent experience. For all its graphical highs and spectacle-laden set pieces, there are a number of long stretches across the Midgar slums and industrial complexes that don’t look very good. Environments are often repetitive while NPC character models are woefully lacking in detail. That doesn’t change on the Switch 2, and they look just as bad here as they do on a high-end PC.

But everything that matters, like the characters, major locations, and oppressive dystopian atmosphere that defines the inner greatness of Final Fantasy 7 Remake remain untouched. That’s all I need to recommend this version of the game, which shines on Nintendo Switch 2 and might just be the best way to enjoy it on consoles moving forward. The real test will be how the upcoming port of Rebirth performs on the console with its more detailed open world and significant amount of content. Until that day comes, please enjoy your time in Midgar.