Nintendo fans worried about how Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will perform on Switch 2 can relax. Series director Naoki Hamaguchi just went on record saying the port will be high quality, and he’s got receipts to back up that claim. After successfully getting Rebirth running smoothly on Steam Deck, Hamaguchi believes bringing it to Switch 2 won’t be a problem.
Quality Will Match the First Game
In a recent interview with VGC, Hamaguchi addressed concerns head-on. He acknowledged that on paper, Rebirth could be seen as a bigger challenge for Square Enix’s engineers since it was originally a PlayStation 5 exclusive. But his team’s experience optimizing the game for PC and Steam Deck has given him confidence they can deliver a high-quality experience on Nintendo’s hybrid console.
Hamaguchi stated that Switch 2 owners are going to get a version that is just as satisfying and just as high quality as the first game, if not higher. That’s a bold promise considering Rebirth is significantly larger in scope than Remake, featuring massive open-world zones that weren’t present in the more linear first entry. The team is working very hard to make sure people get the quality they’re looking for.
Steam Deck Proves It’s Possible
The director pointed to Rebirth’s Steam Deck performance as evidence the concept works. When the PC version launched in January 2025, players were surprised at how well it ran on Valve’s handheld. People reacted with genuine shock, saying it looked really good and ran at a quality much higher than they thought possible on Steam Deck hardware. That positive reception gave the development team a blueprint for tackling the Switch 2 version.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on Steam Deck targets 30 frames per second on low settings with significant compromises. The game runs on default settings with battery drain hitting 23 to 24 watts, and there’s noticeable blurriness plus geometry that loads very close to the player. But reviewers found it playable and enjoyable despite those limitations. If Square Enix can replicate that level of optimization for Switch 2 while taking advantage of better hardware specs, the results should be impressive.
The Engineering Advantage
Hamaguchi has one big advantage that most directors don’t. He started his career as an engineer with a strong programming background, so he deeply understands the technical side of game development. After working as a programmer on the Final Fantasy 13 trilogy, he eventually became co-director and then sole director on the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series. That technical knowledge means he can have direct conversations with his rendering programmers about optimization strategies instead of just hoping things work out.
When discussing the Switch 2 port in an interview with Automaton Japan, Hamaguchi explained the specific challenges his team faced. The Nintendo Switch 2 has great hardware specs, but due to power consumption constraints, it’s designed to dial back performance in handheld mode. A straightforward port wouldn’t be enough to make the game run stably in handheld mode, so the talented rendering programmers put in extra work on optimization.
Lighting Is Everything
To secure smooth performance while maintaining visual quality, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake team heavily prioritized lighting. Hamaguchi believes lighting is the crucial factor in terms of graphics quality and expression in modern games. Using approximations for lighting optimization would have been a shortcut, but it would have noticeably altered the appearance of character expressions, making the game feel cheap overall.
Instead of compromising on lighting, the developers reduced processing load in other areas like post-effects and fog. They kept lighting rendered in essentially the same way as the original versions. This approach allowed them to achieve a port that runs stably at 30 frames per second without sacrificing quality. Hamaguchi is extremely happy that they managed to become a model case of a high-end game being ported for Nintendo Switch 2.
Remake Intergrade Sets the Standard
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade launches for Switch 2 on January 22, 2026, and it’s already looking promising based on comparison videos Square Enix has shared. The Switch 2 version offers similar graphical fidelity to other platforms during cutscenes, and the developer is targeting 30 frames per second. Early purchasers who buy the digital version before January 31, 2026, will also get the original 1997 Final Fantasy 7 as a bonus.
How well Remake Intergrade performs on Switch 2 will serve as the clearest indicator of what to expect from Rebirth. Both titles use the same engine, share many assets, and are developed by the same studio. If Intergrade delivers a stable experience, there’s no reason to doubt Hamaguchi’s promise that Rebirth will match or exceed that quality. The Switch 2 version includes new difficulty options that allow players to tweak HP, damage, and more to suit their play style, showing the team is thinking about accessibility alongside performance.
The Entire Trilogy Goes Multiplatform
These Switch 2 ports are part of a larger strategy shift for Square Enix. In September 2025, Hamaguchi confirmed that the entire Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy will officially release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. This represents a major change from the initial PlayStation exclusivity the series enjoyed. Hamaguchi explained that the decision to go fully multiplatform reflects a desire to let players enjoy the series in a way that suits their lifestyle.
As the trilogy nears its conclusion with Part 3 still in development, Hamaguchi is truly grateful that more people will have the opportunity to experience the world the team has poured their hearts into. He’s also looking forward to what comes next after wrapping up the Remake trilogy, whether that’s a completely new IP or another entry in the Final Fantasy series. The team bonds and relationships have strengthened significantly during the development of the three games, and he’s excited to see what they accomplish together on future projects.
Xbox Poses More Challenges
While development for Nintendo Switch 2 versions of both Rebirth and Part 3 are going very smoothly according to Hamaguchi, the Xbox versions are proving slightly more problematic. Like many other publishers, Square Enix has seen some issues with the lack of memory compared to other platforms. He’s presumably referring to the less powerful Xbox Series S console, which has caused headaches for developers like Larian Studios during Baldur’s Gate 3 development.
Despite those challenges, Hamaguchi reassured fans that the multiplatform approach won’t impact development whatsoever. Square Enix has designated teams working on each platform separately, allowing the main development team to focus on creating the best possible game while specialized porting teams handle platform-specific optimization. This structure should prevent the kind of design compromises that sometimes happen when games are built for the lowest common denominator from the start.
Game-Key Cards on Switch 2
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade will only be available on Switch 2 as a Game-Key Card, Nintendo’s new semi-physical format that has sparked controversy among fans. Hamaguchi explained that the major issues for developers releasing high-end demanding games on Switch 2 are the limited memory of standard game cards and their slower loading speeds compared to disc-based consoles. Game-Key Cards help circumnavigate these restrictions by enabling a semi-download version of the game that utilizes the Switch 2’s internal storage, which loads games faster than if they were being loaded completely from the card.
Hamaguchi would like Nintendo fans to come to accept Game-Key Cards as part of the culture of gaming on Switch 2. For developers, the format makes it possible to bring games to Nintendo’s platform that might not have been feasible otherwise. Ubisoft’s Rob Bantin echoed similar sentiments when defending Star Wars Outlaws using a Game-Key Card, citing that regular Switch 2 cards simply didn’t give the performance needed at the quality target they were going for.
FAQs
When does Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade release on Switch 2?
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade launches on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X and S on January 22, 2026. Early digital purchasers who buy before January 31, 2026, will receive the original 1997 Final Fantasy 7 as a bonus.
When will Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth come to Switch 2?
Square Enix hasn’t announced a specific release date for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on Switch 2 yet. The game originally launched as a PlayStation 5 exclusive in February 2024 and came to PC in January 2025. The Switch 2 version is confirmed to be in development.
Will the Switch 2 version of Rebirth look worse than PlayStation 5?
The Switch 2 version will run at 30 frames per second with optimized graphics settings. Director Naoki Hamaguchi has stated the team prioritized maintaining lighting quality, which he believes is the most important factor for visual fidelity, while reducing processing load in other areas like post-effects and fog.
How does Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth run on Steam Deck?
Rebirth runs at 30 frames per second on Steam Deck with low settings and significant compromises including blurriness and geometry that loads very close to the player. Despite these limitations, reviewers found it playable and enjoyable. The Steam Deck version gave Square Enix confidence they could optimize the game for Switch 2.
Will the entire Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy be on Switch 2?
Yes, director Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed in September 2025 that the entire trilogy including Remake, Rebirth, and the upcoming Part 3 will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
Why is Final Fantasy 7 Remake only available as a Game-Key Card?
Standard Switch 2 game cards have limited memory and slower loading speeds compared to disc-based consoles. Game-Key Cards allow developers to create semi-download versions that use the Switch 2’s internal storage for faster loading and better performance.
Who is Naoki Hamaguchi?
Naoki Hamaguchi is the director of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series. He started as a programmer on the Final Fantasy 13 trilogy, was promoted to co-director on Remake alongside Tetsuya Nomura, and became sole director for Rebirth and the upcoming Part 3. His engineering background gives him deep technical knowledge of game optimization.
Is Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 affected by going multiplatform?
According to Hamaguchi, the multiplatform approach won’t impact Part 3’s development whatsoever. Square Enix has designated teams working on each platform separately, so the main development team can focus on creating the best game possible while specialized teams handle porting.
Conclusion
Naoki Hamaguchi’s reassurances about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on Switch 2 carry weight because he’s backing them up with concrete examples. The Steam Deck version proved his team can optimize massive open-world RPGs for portable hardware without destroying the experience. His engineering background means he understands exactly what compromises need to be made and where quality can’t be sacrificed. By prioritizing lighting over post-processing effects and leveraging the team’s experience with Remake Intergrade, Square Enix seems positioned to deliver a version of Rebirth that Nintendo fans will be happy with. The entire Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy going multiplatform is great news for players who prefer Nintendo or Xbox platforms, even if it means dealing with Game-Key Cards and 30 frames per second performance targets. When Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade launches on Switch 2 in January 2026, we’ll get our first real look at whether Hamaguchi’s confidence is justified. If that port delivers the quality he’s promising, Nintendo fans can stop worrying about Rebirth and start getting excited instead.