Final Fantasy 7 Remake looks better on Xbox Series S than Nintendo Switch 2 despite having less RAM — here's the Digital Foundry analysis

Last week saw the release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on Microsoft's Xbox Series X|S consoles, the Xbox PC app (and the Xbox Ally handheld, by extension), and Xbox Cloud Gaming, complete with full support for Xbox Play Anywhere cross-saving. Considering the fact that it's been exclusive to PS5, PS4, and Steam until that release, it's nothing short of a monumental addition to Xbox's library.

Notably, though, the remake of what may be the best and most-popular Final Fantasy title of all time also dropped on Nintendo Switch 2 on the same date, prompting many curious fans and performance analysts to investigate the differences between the Xbox and Switch 2 versions of the game, and also to compare them to its PS5 and PS4 counterparts.

This includes the renowned, widely respected team at Digital Foundry — a group of performance analysts that extensively test many games to see which systems they look or run best on, and which settings players should use for optimal performance. Responding to fan requests to compare the Xbox and Switch 2 versions, Digital Foundry put them head-to-head — and what it found is very interesting.

In a video discussing the results of its testing, Digital Foundry reported that despite having slightly less high-speed RAM for games than the Switch 2 — the Series S has eight, while Nintendo's newer system has nine — the Series S actually runs Final Fantasy 7 Remake with noticeably higher texture quality and resolution.

Ultimately, this means that the game looks better on Series S than it does on Switch 2, with its visual assets considerably sharper and more detailed. The video itself shows this across a wide variety of in-game scenes, including the infamous low poly "the door" asset; you can watch it with the link above, or via the embed below.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on Xbox Series X|S Tested - And It's Good! - YouTube

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This, Digital Foundry explains, signals that Final Fantasy 7 Remake's texture quality is less reliant on memory, and more so on the process of texture streaming. Notably, while the Switch 2's hardware is significantly better than the original handheld console, its raw power still falls short of the Xbox Series S', even while docked.

The visuals in both versions of the game fall between the fidelity of the original PS4 edition and the PS5's version of Intergrade, with quality on the Series S version surprisingly close to the PS5 edition and the Switch 2 version more in the middle. The Series S manages to match the Xbox Series X and PS5's NPC draw distance, though its shadow quality is slightly worse.

In terms of resolution and framerate, Final Fantasy 7 Remake has two settings on Series S: a 1080p 60FPS Performance mode, and a 1440p 30FPS Graphics option. On Switch 2, meanwhile, the game runs at 1080p 30FPS while docked, with dynamic resolution scaled up to 1080p with DLSS and 30FPS in handheld mode.

As for the Xbox Series X, it has complete parity with the PS5 version of the JRPG, with similarly speedy loading times and options for a 4K 30FPS mode or a 1512p 60FPS setting that prioritizes performance over visual fidelity.

Ultimately, I think both ports of the game are excellent, and the fact that the Switch 2 version looks and runs as well as it does considering its weaker overall hardware is impressive in its own right.

With that said, performance results like these show why the less-expensive Xbox Series S is excellent value, as it brings quality visuals for an attractive price. It bodes well for the port of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth that we know is coming, and that is expected by many to arrive in 2026.

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Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade (PC): was $39.99 now $19.99 at store.steampowered.com

Final Fantasy VII, the game that redefined the video game industry forever, has been reborn for the modern age as Final Fantasy VII: Remake Intergrade. Join Cloud Strife and Avalanche as they fight to save the planet from the tyrannical Shinra Corporation and the godlike monster, Sephiroth.

Xbox version: $39.99 at Xbox

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Are you currently playing Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on either the Xbox Series S or the Nintendo Switch 2? If so, how do you feel about your experience? Are you playing on a different platform instead? Let me know in the comments.

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