Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Switch 2 Goes Minimalist

The Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth demo on Nintendo Switch 2 has attracted a mix of criticism, praise, and humor for removing most of the interior decor and background props, leaving rooms feeling somewhat minimalist compared to the PS5 version.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth makes its way to Switch 2 on June 3, however owners of Nintendo’s latest console can already try out the free demo which covers the beginning of the game, including the iconic Nibelheim flashback, which reveals the tragic events that occurred in Cloud’s hometown.

YouTuber and voice actor Jon Cartwright recently uploaded a side-by-side comparison of the Switch 2 demo and Rebirth running on a standard PS5. Although the PS5 runs Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth at 60FPS and Switch 2 only manages a maximum of 30FPS, the Switch 2 overall does a decent job of pulling off the graphics, with some artifacts, slowdown and pop-in in busier and open world areas. However, much of it is subtle stuff you are unlikely to notice unless you are actively looking for it.

What is not subtle is that many of the background props are missing in the Switch 2 demo version. This is apparent when checking out the houses as Cloud in Nibelheim. All the props, such as the vases of flowers, framed photographs, pots and pans, are gone. This is true both during the gameplay and cutscenes, and makes the flashback in which Cloud first goes back home to visit his mom after joining SOLDIER feel less… homely. “Something that stands out very jarringly when you put the two side-by-side are the background props,” Cartwright noted.

The missing fruit bowl in the post above has attracted a lot of jokes. “Do you want food or frames?” quipped one reply.

Japanese-speaking commenters have also been chiming in on this striking difference in the Switch 2 version. “I checked out the other rooms too and lolled cause they’ve gone minimalist,” said one. Another commenter said that “however many objects they remove, it’ll still have the Gongaga chicken quest” (if you know, you know). The emptier rooms have also prompted someone to recreate the Confused Travolta (Pulp Fiction) meme.

However, criticisms and humor aside, many commenters also praised the ingenuity of these cuts for allowing the game to run on a handheld. “I bet they thought about where to cut things so that it doesn’t feel odd. If you didn’t know about the PS5 version, it wouldn’t be an issue,” noted an X user in Japanese. People also reflected on previous times when Nintendo’s Switch hardware surprised gamers by running performance-heavy titles, such as the Switch 1 version of The Witcher 3.

Cartwright suggested that, “For the most part, what they have achieved here is miraculous. You’ve got a game which was built from the ground up for PlayStation 5 and has trouble running perfectly on PS5, and somehow it’s running on Switch 2, looking as good as it does and running as well as it does.”

However, it remains to be seen exactly how well the full game runs on Switch 2 when it releases on June 3, 2026.

Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.