Naoki Hamaguchi Explains Switch 2 Hair Rendering Issues, Reaffirms 30fps Target for Rebirth and Trilogy’s Third Entry
- ⚡Xe⚡
- a few seconds ago
- 3 min read
In an interview with AUTOMATON, Naoki Hamaguchi addressed reports of Cloud’s hair appearing jagged in the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade.
Hamaguchi clarified that the release is based on the PS5 Intergrade build rather than the original PS4 version, requiring platform-specific optimization work.
“I sometimes see comments suggesting that since FFVII Remake originally released on the PS4, porting it should have been simple. However, it’s not actually a port of the PS4 version. After the PS4 release, we enhanced the game’s assets to create Intergrade for PS5, and now, we ported that Intergrade version to Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S, so there was certainly a lot of optimization to do.”
The hair artifacting is tied to how the game handles anti-aliasing and resolution scaling. FFVII Remake uses temporal anti-aliasing and a strand-level pixel switching method to smooth fine hair detail across frames. In Switch 2 handheld mode, internal resolution can drop under heavy load to maintain performance. When that happens, reconstruction stability decreases and jagged edges become more visible.
“However, Nintendo Switch 2 has a handheld mode, which comes with some extra constraints. To reduce processing load, there are situations where the game is forced to lower its internal resolution. When resolution drops, TAA becomes less stable, and the rough, jagged edges in the hair become more noticeable.”
Switch 2 relies on dynamic resolution scaling and DLSS reconstruction to stabilize frame rate. According to Hamaguchi, DLSS does not pair perfectly with the current hair rendering approach, which explains why the effect is primarily visible in handheld mode and high load scenes.
Performance consistency remains the priority across platforms, including memory-constrained hardware.
“Our graphics engineers meticulously tuned the game until we could ensure a stable 30fps, and I think that even among our other current ports, the result really stands out.”
The same 30fps target applies to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and the trilogy’s third installment, with continued tuning underway.
"We’re consistently aiming for 30fps wherever possible. For FFVII Rebirth and the third installment of the trilogy, our engineers are working hard on tuning to ensure stable performance at that level. I hope players will look forward to it."
Source:
If you enjoy my Final Fantasy content, be sure to follow xEzNaFF on Instagram, Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky, Reddit, TikTok, or YouTube so you never miss future updates!
-⚡Xe⚡
About FINAL FANTASY VII
First released in 1997 on the PlayStation® computer entertainment system, FINAL FANTASY VII celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2022. The game is universally regarded as a hallmark title of the RPG genre. The original title received high praise for its epic storyline, unique characters, and movie sequences that utilized the most cutting-edge technology of the time. Since then, the game revolving around iconic hero, Cloud Strife and his pursuit of the antagonist Sephiroth has sold over 15.3 million copies worldwide and continues to receive widespread acclaim from critics and fans around the world. The popular game has even expanded into spin-offs, films and merchandise.
Now, Square Enix’s FINAL FANTASY VII remake project created by a team of original and new developers, retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct, and standalone games. The first game of the trilogy, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE is now available on Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, PS5® and PS4® consoles and PC. FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, the second game in the trilogy, has been praised by both players and critics across the globe, earning more than 125 perfect scores from media and 40 Game of the Year awards, and is available now for PC and the PS5® console. It will launch on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC with Xbox Play Anywhere support on June 3, 2026.