Growing up, I loved going to my local theme park every summer. Six Flags Great Adventure had Kingda Ka, then the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in the world. When I’d visit, it would be operating about half the time. Checking online before a visit, I saw someone express surprise that it ran so infrequently. The top response? It’s not surprising it sometimes doesn’t run; it’s surprising it even runs at all. At a recent press event to preview the Switch 2 port of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, a gargantuan game, I couldn’t help but think of Kingda Ka. It’s not a surprise that the port doesn’t run perfectly; it’s a surprise it even runs at all.
What’s more, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth actually runs really well on the Nintendo Switch 2. Sure, we saw Final Fantasy VII Remake run on the newest Nintendo console. But Rebirth is almost twice the file size, more than twice as long, and has about three times as much content as its predecessor.
The Good, the Bad, and the Queen’s Blood
Let’s get the bad out of the way, shall we? Characters’ hair doesn’t always look crisp, and textures in the distance can look a little rough, especially faces. And that’s about it. Overall, it doesn’t look as good as Rebirth on the PS5 Pro or even the standard PS5. But considering it looks amazing on those powerful consoles, one shouldn’t be too surprised that on the Switch 2 it’s just a hair—oftentimes literally—short.
Sure, there’s the occasional texture pop-in, but I actually found it pretty negligible. Don’t get me wrong, I tried to make it appear prominently. I ran through the streets of Kalm, definitely not calmly, trying to find some major pop-in as Cloud sprinted like someone lit Firaga under him. I even had a kind Square Enix rep bring me to a Grasslands area save, so I could hop on a Chocobo. And even rushing across the Grasslands with a full boost, I only noticed minor texture pop-in.
This is to say, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth runs really well on the Switch 2. Cutscenes look great and move in and out of gameplay smoothly. I was absolutely shocked at how seamlessly I could enter and exit combat. Even if it doesn’t reach 60 frames per second, it runs really smoothly. Oh, and this was all in handheld mode, by the way.
Read Also: Naoki Hamaguchi’s thoughts on porting Final Fantasy VII Rebirth to the Nintendo Switch 2
A real highlight is, in fact, the light itself. The lighting looks great, and not just when moving from shadow to broad daylight. The lighting frames characters and their features well. The world of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on Switch 2 is pretty much just as varied and vibrant as its PlayStation 5 counterpart. Light plays a big role in making these environments pop.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Switch 2 Benefits
And Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on the Switch 2 has some features that set it apart from the original as well. It brings back the “Streamlined Progression” mode from January’s Remake port. This includes optional bonuses like max damage, unlimited Limit Breaks, max Materia and Gil, and more. I didn’t realize I had max damage on at first when a battle wrapped up in a literal second. But I’m glad I got to see this, as it further highlights how fast Rebirth runs on the Switch 2.
Aside from technical aspects, the Switch 2 port also lends itself well to Rebirth‘s side content. When the opportunity to play Queen’s Blood presented itself, I jumped at it, despite sinking hours into the card game on my own playthrough. You can never get enough Queen’s Blood. And on the Switch 2, playing Queen’s Blood in handheld form immediately made me think how great minigames like these would play on the go. I could easily see players saving mainline content for docked mode, while diving into the many bite-sized minigames on trips or commutes.
Overall Impressions
If graphical fidelity is what you’re looking for, and believe me, I get it, Final Fantasy Rebirth VII on the Switch 2 may not be your jam. But if you want to play the game on the handheld console—and want it to run well—let me assuage your fears. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth runs smoothly, with great lighting and visual fidelity. It may very well surprise you.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will arrive for the Switch 2, as well as Xbox Series X/S, on June 3rd, 2026. Those who purchase the Nintendo Switch 2 physical edition will also receive an exclusive Magic: The Gathering Zack Fair promo card with art by Tetsuya Nomura.
In the meantime, Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox players may check out a demo of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The demo consists of the first two chapters and offers saves that will carry over to the full game.
