Thank goodness Square Enix avoided a major mistake. The Final Fantasy VII Remake was initially considered for release on the Nintendo Switch as a cloud-based, inferior version — but the company eventually decided against it. Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed that while the studio explored this option, they ultimately chose a completely different path.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is one of those landmark games that defined an era with its ambition, nostalgia, and ability to surprise players constantly. Years have passed since its original release, and the title is still available on PS5, PS4, and PC. However, that’s about to change, as the full version will launch on Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S in early 2026. In reality, though, Square Enix once had plans to release the title on the original Switch — fortunately, that never happened.

Naoki Hamaguchi, co-director of Final Fantasy VII Remake and director of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, revealed in a recent interview with Nintendo Everything that the studio did consider releasing the JRPG on the original Switch, but only as a cloud-based version. Ultimately, they scrapped the idea because it didn’t feel appropriate for a project of this scale, choosing instead to wait for the next console after seeing the power of the Switch 2.

From that point forward, they saw an opportunity to deliver a version of Final Fantasy VII Remake that truly did the game justice. It’s worth remembering that the Kingdom Hearts series debuted on the Nintendo Switch as a cloud version, which received heavy criticism due to latency, disconnections, and poor image quality. Doing the same with Final Fantasy VII Remake would have been a serious misstep, as players overwhelmingly prefer native releases.

Hamaguchi also noted that Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will launch on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S on January 22, 2026, featuring optimizations designed to preserve visual quality and performance even in handheld mode, capped at 30 FPS. He further mentioned that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will arrive on Switch 2 soon, followed by FFVII Remake Part 3. However, it remains to be seen whether these titles will launch simultaneously on PS5 and PC or arrive later on those platforms.

Source: 3djuegos