Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the most shocking addition to the Nintendo Switch 2 so far. Not because of the content itself, far from it. Nintendo and Square Enix have a great relationship, as Square has been a fantastic third-party partner. They already have Final Fantasy VII Remake, so it makes sense that Rebirth would follow.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was a showcase for the PlayStation 5 when it launched in 2024, receiving critical acclaim for its performance and graphics. While the Switch 2 is the most advanced hardware for Nintendo, it doesn’t quite reach the modern heights of consoles. Which is why, after playing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on the Switch 2, it’s a miracle that it works on this console. Even with some caveats that the game and player will have to give, it shows off one of the best games this generation.
The Quality of FF7 Rebirth for the Switch 2 Shines
Image via Square Enix
Just like Final Fantasy VII Remake, Rebirth only has a performance mode. It’s disappointing that the frame rate caps at 30 FPS, but you quickly understand why, considering the juggernaut of a game like this. Thankfully, the visuals still look stunning on the Switch 2.
They’re not on the same level as PC and PS5, but we’re talking about Nintendo. It reaches those modified heights with ease. Handheld mode occasionally gets slightly blurry in the corners, but it’s quickly corrected. The frame rate remains stable and consistent throughout. It’s still an impressive feat that gamers can enjoy FF VII Rebirth on the go without any issues.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Has a Size Issue on the Switch 2
Chadley at the Chocobo Farm in Final Fantasy VII RebirthImage via Square Enix
When we talked about Final Fantasy VII Remake on the Switch 2 back in January, the size became an issue. The game file size is 90 GB, which is a lot for the Switch 2. The console only has 256 GB, and that includes system updates.
We pointed out during that review that when Rebirth comes to the Switch 2, it would be a bigger problem. It turns out we underestimated how much of an issue it would be, as Rebirth’s game file size is 105 GB. During the review process, I had to delete so much space just to get FF7 Rebirth on the Switch 2.
Back during the Switch 1 days, they had a warning about games that take up a lot of space and how you needed an SD card. Getting a microSD card is a must if you want to enjoy Rebirth. To delete Rebirth and download it again if you want to play it is such a pain, as the download takes hours.
CBR Exclusive · Quiz WHICH FINAL FANTASY HERO ARE YOU? The Crystal Has Chosen You From the slums beneath Midgar to the shores of Spira, from the burning ruins of Vector to the edge of a godless future — Final Fantasy’s greatest heroes carry worlds on their shoulders. Each one is a different answer to the same question: who do you become when fate asks everything of you? Fifteen questions. One destiny.
FFVII Cloud Strife Ex-SOLDIER
FFVI Terra Branford Magitek Warrior
FFX Tidus Star Blitzball Player
FFXIII Lightning L’Cie Warrior
01
The party is falling apart before the final dungeon. You: Every hero faces the moment the mission starts to crack.
02
Your past is catching up with you. How do you carry it? In Final Fantasy, no hero escapes who they were.
03
What is the source of your greatest strength? Power in Final Fantasy always comes from somewhere real.
04
You must give something up to save everyone. You choose to sacrifice: The hardest choices reveal a hero’s true values.
05
Someone tells you to smile more. You: Small moments reveal the biggest personalities.
06
A prophecy names you the chosen one. Your reaction? Fate is Final Fantasy’s oldest weapon — and its greatest test.
07
Your battle style in a crisis is: The way you fight is the way you live.
08
The crack in your armor is: Even the legendary have a weakness in the stats screen.
09
An ally betrays the party. Your response: Trust is the most fragile currency in the Final Fantasy world.
10
The world is ending. What keeps you moving? Final Fantasy always asks this. The answer defines everything.
11
Strangers meeting you for the first time would say: First impressions in the overworld matter.
12
You discover everything you believed about yourself was a lie. You: Final Fantasy loves this moment. So does character.
13
What does the party mean to you? No hero wins alone. But why they need others varies.
14
The world that shaped you was: Every hero is a product of the world that broke them.
15
Standing before the final boss, you think: The last save point is behind you. This is what you’ve been building toward.
THE CRYSTAL HAS SPOKEN YOUR FINAL FANTASY HERO
Your scores appear below. The character with the highest number is your match — read their description to discover which legend of the Final Fantasy universe has always lived inside you.
FINAL FANTASY VII Cloud Strife
FINAL FANTASY VI Terra Branford
FINAL FANTASY X Tidus
FINAL FANTASY XIII Lightning
You are formidably capable and brutally self-contained. You built walls so high that even you sometimes forget there’s someone worth knowing on the other side of them. Your strength is real — but it was forged in grief, and part of you has never fully left that burning town. What makes you extraordinary isn’t the sword or the silence: it’s that underneath all the cold precision, you still care about people with an intensity that frightens you. The ones who earn your trust don’t just gain an ally. They gain someone who will walk into the end of the world for them, without ever saying a word about it.
You are extraordinary and don’t fully believe it yet. Something inside you — something ancient and luminous and untameable — has always been there, waiting. Others have tried to control it, define it, weaponize it. What they never understood is that your power isn’t the dangerous part: it’s your heart. The capacity to love that you spent so long being afraid of is your greatest strength. You are not a weapon. You are not what was done to you. You are what you choose to become — and that choice, made quietly, every day, is the most heroic act in the game.
You feel everything at full volume and refuse to apologize for it. Where others calculate, you leap. Where others grieve in silence, you cry out loud and then help everyone else back to their feet. You understand instinctively that love is not sentimental — it’s the most courageous thing a person can do. You walked into a journey you didn’t fully understand for people you had only just met, and you gave it everything you had. That isn’t naïveté. That’s the rarest kind of bravery: the kind that smiles on the way into the dark.
You are relentless in a way that unsettles people who don’t know you — and humbles the ones who do. You buried everything soft about yourself because the world required it, and you made yourself into something no fate, no god, and no system could stop. What people mistake for coldness is actually grief in armor: you loved someone so completely that losing them rewired everything. Underneath the discipline and the precision is a person who would unmake the laws of the universe for the people they love. And has. More than once.
In 2026, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Holds Up
Image via Square Enix
Even after 2 years, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is still an incredible game. The jump from open zone to open world works seamlessly. Even if we could do without Bradley constantly reminding you of collecting world intel, the activities are fun. The side quests, materia hunting and riding around on Chocobos are all fun, especially when playing on the go.
The story also feels much grander, as it takes Cloud and crew global, rather than just staying in Midgar. Rebirth does a great job of telling and expanding on the story beats from the original game. The Avalanche team feels more like a connected group this time around. Especially with new additions like Yuffie and Cait Sith. Their new combat skills add even more variety to the already dynamic fights. This, along with many other things, will keep new players engaged for a while.
With the conclusion to the FF7 Remake trilogy not coming out for a while, this is a perfect holdover for fans. Even with some limits, getting to play this masterpiece on the Switch 2, especially in handheld mode, is a huge win for the console.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is now available on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S, joining the PlayStation 5 and PC.
Released
February 29, 2024
ESRB
T for Teen
Engine
Unreal Engine 4
PC Release Date
January 23, 2025
PS5 Release Date
February 29, 2024
Pros & Cons
Stunning visuals
Playing in handheld mode
Impressive feat for the Switch 2
Still an incredible game
Massive game file size for the Switch 2
No performance mode
Slight blurry edges for a brief second
This review was written with a review code of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth provided by Square Enix.
