Following the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake on Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 earlier this year and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth this June, the third and final entry in the remake trilogy is the only entry in the series that is set to release on every modern gaming platform. While this multiplatform pivot has been welcomed by Switch 2 and Xbox players, many have voiced concerns that the final part of the trilogy will have to make some compromises in visual quality due to the lower specifications of the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series S, besides continuing to use Unreal Engine 4.
However, this will not be the case, as the Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 development team’s approach takes platform differences into consideration while scaling down from the lead version of the game: the PC version.
“The quality of the trilogy will not be diminished, and that’s not the kind of development structure we have in the first place,” said Naoki Hamaguchi in a fresh interview with Automaton. “I think I have no choice but to keep saying this.”
Realizing that the concerns may be justified, as he never went in-depth on why Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 won’t be dragged down by the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series S, Hamaguchi-san provided a thorough explanation on why this won’t happen, breaking things down by component, starting with potential ROM limitations deriving from the Nintendo Switch 2 cartridges. As the game will launch at retail on a Game-Key Card, file size will not be an issue on the other platforms.
Managing RAM on Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Xbox Series S
RAM is among the biggest difference between modern consoles, but this too won’t be a concern for Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3: “The Nintendo Switch 2 has plenty of RAM, so it shouldn’t be affected. It’s true that it will struggle with the Xbox Series S, but that’s been addressed by fine-tuning each platform to the utmost. So, RAM issues won’t restrict other platforms,” Hamaguchi-san explained.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 NPC Density Will Be Critical For CPU Optimization
The differences in CPU between the systems are unlikely to be a cause for concern. “The way we currently make games is that if a game runs at 30fps on PS4, Nintendo Switch 2, or Xbox Series S, then it should be able to run at 60fps on a high-end platform. In other words, we don’t design games with the assumption that it will run at 30fps on a high-end CPU and use all of its available capacity,” Hamaguchi-san said.
“For hardware with CPU power to spare, we use a method of scaling only the density of NPCs in towns, such as the number of NPCs. This means that towns may feel more lively on high-spec hardware, while the number of NPCs may be lower on other hardware.” As such, the director of Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 believes the team is unlikely to encounter CPU-related issues.
GPU Optimization and Asset Reduction From Leading PC Platform
The final concern fans have, and the one Hamaguchi-san recognizes is the biggest, is related to the GPU. Even in this case, however, the Final Fantasy VII Remake series director believes there won’t be issues, thanks to the team’s development approach, which scales down from the leading PC version and focuses on optimization. “The FFVII Remake series has been purchased by a huge number of customers on Steam and the Epic Games Store, so we are also conscious of creating assets for the wider PC market during development. That’s why we create 3D asset data with the highest asset quality based on PC,” Hamaguchi-san said.
“As a basic data design, we don’t conform to low standards, but create assets for even higher-end use. We call this reduction, and the design involves adjusting and tuning the asset level to suit each platform. In that sense, it’s a design philosophy that basically doesn’t affect high-spec platforms. This isn’t just something we do, but is a relatively common way of thinking in game development environments these days.” As such, those with high-end platforms will be able to enjoy the game at its best, while console players will still have a great experience tailored to their hardware of choice.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 Is “Now Playable”
After the end of this exhausting explanation, Naoki Hamaguchi provided a small update on the yet-to-be-revealed Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3. “Development is proceeding almost exactly on time, according to the schedule and milestones set at the beginning of development, and the game is now playable. As a team, we are in the final push to continue developing the game, so the quality is improving day by day, and as a repeat player, the scenery changes every day, making it exciting. So, I think that in the not-too-distant future, we will have an opportunity to share some information with you all.”
Hopefully, it really won’t take much longer to finally see this highly anticipated game in action.
‘I Have No Choice But To Keep Saying This’
