Final Fantasy 7 Remake director reveals Switch 2 specs make it challenging to develop games

In a new Polygon interview, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy director calls the Switch 2 a “great piece of hardware”. Those comments align with Naoki Hamaguchi’s earlier praise of the Nintendo handheld. He also provides another positive update on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Even so, he notes that the console's specs remain a limitation for studios.

Switch 2 ports demand tedious optimization

Hamaguchi discusses how the original Final Fantasy 7 was the first entry in the series designed for PlayStation hardware. At the time, Nintendo consoles lacked the capabilities to support the groundbreaking visuals. While the latest system is more competitive with the PS5 and Xbox Series X, the director confirms it’s a difficult platform to develop for.

According to the Square Enix veteran, Switch 2 specs are a “little bit on the lower-end side.” The restrictions made porting Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade a challenging process. Hamaguchi also reveals that other developers are encountering the same roadblocks:

I have seen a lot of other publishers struggling to get their games to work very smoothly on the Nintendo Switch 2.

2026 could be a banner year for third-party Switch 2 games. A rumored Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase may air in early February, featuring these projects. Still, Hamaguchi cautions that supporting the console is not a straightforward endeavor. Even with DLSS upscaling, lower memory and cartridge capacities are obstacles for some titles.

Reviews have praised Remake Intergrade for its stable frame rate and convincing lighting. Nevertheless, achieving satisfactory performance in its follow-up is a tougher task. Players leave the confines of Midgar and explore vast open-world settings. The added detail may force more compromises in image quality.

Despite the obstacles, Hamaguchi explains that the second part of the trilogy is nearly ready. With his team putting the “final polish on the build”, news about the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth release date could come soon. Recently, TheGamer reported that a Summer 2025 debut is possible.