Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s Switch 2 port can’t handle Cloud’s hair

Hair so luscious, even the Switch 2 can't keep up

I had my doubts about Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on Switch 2. Nintendo's new hardware was magical for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, sure, but Square Enix designed this version of FF7R for the PlayStation 5. So I figured it was going to have some pretty hefty compromises, not unlike the blurry, low-resolution ports of The Witcher 3 and Divinity Original Sin 2 on the original Switch. It turns out I was wrong. Final Fantasy 7 Remake has its issues on Switch 2, but with one exception, they're pretty easy to overlook.

In docked and handheld mode, Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Intermission run at a stable 30fps — for the most part. That's a good thing, since you have no way to change graphics settings. That's a change from Remake on PlayStation 5 and PC. The former has performance and fidelity modes, while the latter lets you toggle graphics settings to suit your rig's needs. With the Switch 2 version, you just get the Switch 2 version — no toggles, no options. That's technically a downgrade, though this version of Remake performs well enough, for the most part, that the lack of options is easy to overlook.

I ran into some inexplicable stuttering at seemingly random moments while playing in handheld mode. One stand-out example happens at the start of Remake, when Cloud rejoins the Avalanche crew on the train back to Sector 7 following the Mako Reactor bomb incident. As Barrett and Biggs throw the carriage door open and Cloud tries to tumble in stylishly, the frame drops put a damper on the flair of the moment. This and other similar issues aren't present in docked mode, which is particularly annoying, as handheld mode should be the appeal of playing on the Switch 2. But considering these drops don't happen in the middle of a tense fight or otherwise ruin the experience of wandering around Midgar, it's not as obnoxious an issue as it could be.

The only ever-present problem — also more prevalent in handheld mode — is how the game renders certain textures at lower resolutions. It's noticeable with specific objects if you look closely, like the edge of the Buster Sword on Cloud's back, but in this instance, the primary asset in question is Cloud's hair. In docked mode, he gets normal hair. In handheld mode, it's all blurry with indistinct edges, more like blonde static than the impeccable coifs on top of most Final Fantasy protagonist heads. Take a look below.

Despite being mostly stable, Intermission has its share of unexpected frame drops, though they also seem confined to non-essential moments and handheld mode. When Yuffie approaches an elevator in a warehouse, for example, the game drops frames as she boards the elevator at ground level. But only that elevator. None of the others nearby played host to a similar anomaly, and Yuffie could board and exit the same elevator on the next floor without issue. This oddity was also only present in handheld mode.

The resolution will very infrequently drop during moments of heavy action in handheld mode, like when Yuffie is using her visually intense ninjutsu moves against a group of three or more enemies. The framerate remains stable, though, so it's a tradeoff I'm happy to accept and one you only really notice if you're looking for it. Things are also just a bit sharper and clearer in docked mode, though these changes are also subtle enough that, unless you're comparing them directly, you probably won't really notice. The one thing that quite a lot of pop-in, around Sector 7 in particular, where random citizens only show up as you get a bit closer, or, in one or two extreme cases, when you're right next to them. (Yuffie's hair also has aliasing issues, but the way her hair is styled means you only notice it when the camera is close up and facing her.)

Mostly, though, it's just impressive to see a game designed for PS5 running with comparatively few issues and at a stable framerate on the Switch 2. With a few exceptions, Square Enix handled the issues like resolution drops that do show up so they rarely get in the way of what you're doing. Is it the best version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake? Definitely not. But it's a much better port than I expected.