Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Switch 2 demo performance suffers from frame rate drops and pop-in

The Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Switch 2 demo was a welcome surprise for Nintendo fans. Ahead of the game’s June 3rd release date, followers have wondered how well the Square Enix RPG would transition to the handheld. Although impressions are generally positive, players report more performance drawbacks than with Remake Intergrade.

As expected, graphics in the title render at 30 fps. However, early tests show that at times, the Switch 2 game fails to maintain that target. GVG found that frame rates often dropped into the 20s, particularly when traversing open-world areas. That can make gameplay feel less fluid, as Cloud and his companions explore and engage in battle.

Websites with access to early builds express similar views about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Switch 2 performance. Jake Brigstock of Indy100 observes that, aside from some cutscenes, frame rates were relatively stable. On the other hand, pop-in became apparent, with objects abruptly appearing on screen.

More critically, the console crashed before entering the Kalm region. In other cases, cutscenes refused to load, forcing restarts. Brigstock explains that he “experienced more hiccups playing this early build for 30 minutes than I did in the whole time I've played Remake”. Yet, the writer is careful to note that the final code may resolve these technical snafus.

Will the Rebirth Switch 2 port meet expectations?

Opinions are mixed about what resolution the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth demo runs at. When Digital Foundry analyzed footage in February, in docked mode, it appeared to use DLSS to upscale from 720p to 1080p. Visual quality takes a bigger hit in handheld mode. Still, in the 45 GB preview, some Redditors find the graphics more blurry than anticipated.  

Trilogy director Naoki Hamaguchi was upfront about the performance compromises in the Switch 2 game. Like on the PS5, the open-world environments in Rebirth are more demanding than the scenery in Remake Intergrade. Initial feedback signals that Square Enix has done an admirable job with the port. Nevertheless, it could benefit from bug fixes and additional optimization before the release date.