Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is coming to the Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S with enhanced features such as Streamlined Progression and Headstart modes. With the Final Fantasy VII Remake series going multiplatform moving forward, the series takes an exciting turn.

We got the chance to sit down with series director Naoki Hamaguchi to discuss the upcoming ports for Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and share insights about challenges in porting to these new consoles, keeping the features seen in other platforms consistent, and the joys of Switch 2’s portability with Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade – Naoki Hamaguchi Interview

Streamline Progression and Headstart Modes

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade has new modes present, including the Streamline Progression settings and Headstart modes. When asked about how these new modes address accessibility, Hamaguchi commented on the user experience:

“With the mode like headstart mode, the player immediately starts off with an enhanced level, but regarding players who may want no HP damage specifically or HP damage is fine but they want infinite MP, it reflects the various playstyles and user preferences so in that way players can play as they wish while also being able to focus on the story.”

“We do have plans to include the streamlined progression versions for the PS5 and PC versions. As policy, we strive to offer the same features across all platforms. Currently, the streamline progression feature is available on Switch 2 and Xbox. I’m not able to clearly confirm when it will be implemented on the PS5 and PC.”

Porting to the Switch 2 and Xbox

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade was previously released on the PS5 and the PC, and it is coming to new consoles such as Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S soon. When asked about the challenges with porting to new consoles, specifically the Switch 2, Hamaguchi explains the process of optimization implemented into the game.

“I know when I’m looking at the Switch 2 for both the handheld and TV modes, the performance for the console itself differs according to the modes, and our ultimate goal in development was to make sure that even on the handheld mode, we’re able to ensure a smooth moving game visually as well as 30 FPS.”

“As far as differences from the Playstation and Xbox I do believe we were able to achieve nearly the same gaming experience and graphic experience as compared to both of these consoles especially due to the graphic optimization that we have done.”

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade was quite particular with the facial expressions of the characters, especially its leads like Cloud and Sephiroth. Hamaguchi expressed that by optimizing the lighting, they can preserve the user experience when porting over to the Switch 2.

“When we’re thinking about character expressions, what primarily determines them is the lighting. With a handheld console the full specs of the system can be minimized a bit in the handheld mode. If we were to apply the modes for the PS5 as is, the framerate itself won’t be able to catch up, so there was a need for us to optimize.”

“If we limit the processing on the lighting side, this is going to impact the user’s experience in terms of how they perceive the character expressions, which we felt was vital to the experience. So we took the route of making sure that in terms of lighting and ensuring that these character expressions are intact and this is going to be aligned to the PS versions.”

“We balanced this by optimizing in terms of fog and post effect towards the Switch 2 console and in that way we went to avoid undue strain on the console and in that sense, we were able to achieve a smooth flow with great graphic quality of such due to these developmental efforts, and that is something that I’m very keen for the players to experience.”

“I do want to note at the time we were releasing the PC version, we released a lighting improvement feature that upped the quality of the character expressions. We’ve come to a point where this is looking feasible to implement for PS5 and so this is something that we’re actively engaging and working on in order to apply this.”

Loading Times and the Keycard Conundrum

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, previously released on the PS5 and PC, enjoyed near-instant loading times. Hamaguchi addresses the benefits of the Keycard and Downloadable modes to make this feature uniform across all platforms. He acknowledges player hesitancy towards adapting to the keycards, and hopefully, more players will adapt to it in the future.

“In terms of the loading time, we did take the approach of the key card this time around and one would be sort of downloading the Switch 2 app on the key card. So in terms of the loading speed and such, there’s not much of a difference in that sense. Something that i think is a common challenge for the many developers when developing a high end game for the Switch 2 is in terms of storage and memory and such.”

“I’m aware there are differing opinions and some concerns from players as well in terms of the fact that we were once able to just insert a cartridge and we have to insert something and then download, there’s just one extra step involved affecting usability, I’m aware of that concern being present.”

“There’s a concern why we chose the key card route since the 64 gigabyte cartridge size was not enough to contain Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, but instead of the storage size of the cartridge, it was actually more around the loading speed when working with a more high-end game such as this one. The loading speed was not efficient using a cartridge. That’s more of the primary concern for choosing the key card over the cartridge this time.”

“I believe that the key card format will continue to be adapted later on as we go on as the Nintendo hardware that has the capability to support these higher-spec games. I am looking forward to it to being continuously more accepted whether it is the keycard or download version that players use to access the game.”

The Joys and Cons of Handheld

The Handheld feature of the Switch 2 is something new concerning how to experience Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, where previously players would usually experience it “separately” with an external monitor or TV. Hamaguchi expresses excitement with this mode of play and other quirks for the Switch 2.

“There is a concern about the spec differences on the Switch 2 when played on the handheld versus TV. Working on the Switch 2 version for Remake Intergrade this was a major priority to ensure that it’s a game that promise a very best gaming experience regardless of being played in whichever mode.”

“My first thought when I first played Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade the Switch 2, compared to the prior consoles, there is a distance between the controller and the TV screen. But this time, the controller and screen on the Switch 2 is together and is one.”

“Feeling that right on your fingertips, it’s almost in your face, it’s a completely new and thrilling experience that I would love for players to try as well. I’m sure players would prefer to play on the TV mode. But personally, I would really recommend trying out the handheld mode.”

“In terms of the Joycon Controllers, we haven’t implemented specific mouse controls or Joycon controls, specifically for Remake Intergrade this time, in terms of the HD Rumble feature, this is supported for the Remake Intergrade for Switch 2.”

Nintendo Homecoming

Hamaguchi has previously expressed the desire for a stronger partnership between Nintendo and the Final Fantasy franchise. While Hamaguchi cannot speak on behalf of Square Enix or the Final Fantasy VII Remake team, he personally acknowledges his own excitement about the potential of this partnership.

“In terms of what we’ve already announced for the FF7 Remake series, all three titles of the trilogy will be released on the Switch 2. This is only the beginning. This is certainly not the end of partnerships for Nintendo and for this title. I’m very hopeful and want to strive for a continuous stronger partnership in order for users to get to know the Final Fantasy franchise even more throughout our work.

“I would say there was a huge change in terms of future development choices up until now regarding the Switch 2 development. Beforehand, we had worked on the PC version, and now, looking towards reaching a broader audience, we felt we wanted to continue to challenge ourselves and look to pursue reaching these new audiences by releasing on these new consoles. It hasn’t stalled or halted in terms of change to development for part three or the rest of the remake series.”

“The player base for Nintendo games consoles is still quite a younger audience/crowd. We wanted to reach out to these players as well in the past, with the Sephiroth and Cloud entering Smash Bros roster. I think a lot of users were quite familiar with this character and the franchise. I hope to also continue supporting it so that players can know Final Fantasy VII and the Final Fantasy franchise as a whole.”

A New Future

As the interview concluded, Hamaguchi had one final message to all the fans looking forward to Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade:

“We have announced that the FFVII Remake series will be released on multi-platform onward. There may be users that already played the titles on PC and PS5, but for players that may be curious and haven’t yet done so, I would greatly encourage you to do so on Switch 2 and Xbox when it’s going to be released later on. It would be great if you could stay tuned, and I feel very excited for the trilogy’s conclusion to arrive. I’d love for as many players to experience this.“

A very special thank you to Naoki Hamaguchi for sharing his experience and time with us, despite his busy schedule.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is coming to Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S on January 22, 2026.