“With the latest PSSR update, Silent Hill f now delivers an even smoother gameplay experience than before,” said Konami’s production team. “Fine details – from swaying blades of grass to shadows cast across the ground – are rendered with greater clarity, deepening immersion in the fog-shrouded Japan of the 1960s.” A short new trailer highlights the difference between the current PSSR and its upgraded version with the latter pretty much eliminating any flickering.

Ninja Theory head, Dom Matthews, noted the team’s excitement to collaborate with Sony while also being impressed by “the quality of particle effects with this latest update, helping to bring key gameplay moments to life through enhanced visuals.” Remedy’s graphical technical director, Tatu Aalto, also noted how the improved image upscaling resulted in “efficient stochastic sampling without sacrificing image stability” and how it “responds quickly to visibility changes in games, keeping motion clear while improving temporal stability.” The result is even “better, more stable image quality” in Control and Alan Wake 2.

Those worried that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on consoles would never fully depict the beauty of its characters’ hairstyles should also rejoice. Director Naoki Hamaguchi notes how “fine details such as character’s hair are naturally restored.” Of course, “less flickering and afterimage feeling” is also a bonus. You can also expect sharper edges for wildlife scenery in Nioh 3, whether it’s foliage or various flowers.

And while Capcom didn’t provide any additional comments on the technology, it will be available for Monster Hunter Wilds and Dragon’s Dogma 2. Resident Evil Requiem was the first title that leveraged Upgraded PSSR, and the results have been quite stunning thus far. Stay tuned for more details on other titles that will implement it in the coming weeks.

After his statements about Game Key-Cards earlier this month, he mentioned to Automaton that the Switch 2 versions are likely going to target 30 FPS across its larger, more detailed worlds. Arguing in favor of stable performance over visual fidelity on a platform that has two distinct graphical modes in the interest of portability, Hamaguchi was emphatic about crafting an experience that would perform consistently enough to keep its players invested in it.

“…with the Nintendo Switch 2, there’s the added characteristic of handheld mode, where performance constraints are tighter…We’re consistently aiming for 30 FPS wherever possible. For Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and the third installment of the trilogy, our engineers are working hard on tuning to ensure stable performance at that level.”

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade did quite well on the Switch 2, and we’re hoping that the next two can sustain that forward momentum on the platform as far as the performance is concerned. From the looks of it, we’re in good hands as we count down the days until we get to replay a largely enjoyable experience while we’re on the go.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launches on June 3rd for Nintendo Switch 2 alongside Xbox Series X/S. Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 doesn’t have a release date but it’s in a playable state and could receive a proper reveal this year.

Hamaguchi revealed that the difference in loading speeds when a game is pulling in data from the Switch 2’s internal storage is “roughly double” when compared to pulling it off a game cartridge. This is a big reason for the use of Game-Key Cards for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade.

“There’s simply no way around key cards in certain respects,” said Hamaguchi. “If you compare loading directly from a game cartridge (containing all game data) to loading from the Nintendo Switch 2’s internal storage, the load speed difference is roughly double. Some have expressed concern that multiplatform development may impose constraints not only on graphics, but even on game design itself. However, this is precisely why we didn’t choose a cartridge.”

He went on to note that the game wasn’t built around the idea of loading in all of the required data right at the beginning. Rather, data is constantly loaded in and out in the course of gameplay, which means that the speed at which data can be loaded in becomes an important consideration for the developers. Along with this, Nintendo Switch 2 cartridges also offer lower storage than what the studio needs.

“Our game design isn’t built around loading all data upfront, with nothing further being loaded afterward,” Hamaguchi explained. “Even during gameplay, data is constantly swapped in and out, and given that premise, the loading speed from a game card would inevitably be insufficient, leading to stress for the player. In addition, with currently available cartridge capacity, there is the practical limitation that the full game data simply wouldn’t fit in the first place.”

“However, as long as we can secure the high-speed storage read speeds such as SSD or UFS (on Switch 2), the design we’re aiming for becomes achievable within the scope of optimization for each platform. For the third game in the trilogy, we’re proceeding with development with the goal of delivering a large-scale experience similar to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, so please rest assured on that point.”

Ultimately, Hamaguchi noted that Game-Key Cards are a major reason for the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 at all. Load speeds and storage capacities simply weren’t high enough in the past. Now, however, the combination of Game-Key Cards lifting these restrictions and the Switch 2’s “impressive” performance has allowed the team to start bringing the trilogy to a new audience.

“In the past, when faced with practical issues related to load speed and storage capacity we couldn’t resolve, we had to decide not to release on Nintendo systems. However, Nintendo Switch 2’s performance is impressive, and with a key card format like FFVII Remake, releasing the games became possible,” he said.

Hamaguchi had made similar comments about Game-Key Cards back in October, noting that while he understands why some may not like it, the technology is simply not one that can be avoided. Nightdive Studios CEO Stephen Kick, on the other hand, has called the system “disheartening” from a video game preservation standpoint.

In the meantime, check out our review of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on the Nintendo Switch 2.

“Development of the third installment is progressing very smoothly, and we’re almost exactly on schedule with the milestones we set at the beginning of the project,” he told Automaton-Media. “The game is already in a playable state, and right now, we’re in the final push phase, refining and building up the experience.

“We’re at the stage where the quality improves day by day, and each time we play it, the scenery feels different, so it’s genuinely exciting. I think it won’t be too long before we’re able to share some kind of update with everyone.” Coupled with a previous statement about sharing “more updates” on the project this year than ever before, it certainly feels like an announcement is imminent. Soon-ish.

In the same interview, Hamaguchi spoke about how developing for multiple platforms wouldn’t impact the title’s visual quality. But what about bringing Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade and Rebirth to Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S, potentially affecting the team’s attention on the finale?

Thankfully, that’s not a concern, says Hamaguchi. “We have a dedicated unit within my team that handles porting work, and they operate separately from the team developing the third installment. The porting unit is deeply committed and has been tuning those versions with meticulous care, so I trust them and oversee their work from a distance. That allows me to focus on the third game.”

So what do we actually know about Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 from a gameplay perspective? It includes a “powered-up version” of Queen’s Blood, Rebirth’s popular card game, and despite offering a “more concise structure,” it won’t be a shorter experience than its predecessor. The airship, Highwind, is also featured, with the world seemingly rebuilt to accommodate it. As always, however, we await concrete details on where the story could go next.

“Both the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox versions have been incredibly well-received and generated a lot of buzz online, and that attention has also made me realize how many people are worried about this issue. However, our decision to go multiplatform with the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series will not in any way lower the quality of the third installment. Our development structure simply doesn’t work that way to begin with. …I suppose I’ll just have to keep saying it,” he told Automaton-Media.

While it’s all well and good to say it, how can Hamaguchi be sure that this will be the case? After breaking down the “four key points” to consider across all platforms – CPU, GPU, RAM, and ROM – he revealed that the team focuses on achieving 30 FPS on lower-end platforms while achieving 60 FPS on the higher-end. “In other words, we don’t design the game to fully saturate a high-end CPU at 30 FPS.

“Instead, on hardware that lends additional CPU headroom, we scale density elements, like increasing the number of NPCs in towns. As a result, towns feel more alive on higher-spec hardware, while lower-spec systems may display fewer NPCs. So even when factoring in Nintendo Switch 2 or Xbox Series S support, CPU-related bottlenecks are unlikely.

“Finally, the area most people are concerned about is the GPU, the graphics processor. When a game launches across multiple platforms, many enjoy comparing the visual differences, like in those side-by-side comparison videos. The main concern is that if development assumes hardware of a certain level as the standard, all platforms might be pulled to that level of quality. What I’d like to clarify first is that the highest-end gaming environment is PC.

“While PC gaming is gradually expanding in Japan, overseas growth has been even more rapid. The market has broadened tremendously across both consoles and PC. The Final Fantasy 7 Remake series has sold very well on platforms like Steam and the Epic Games Store, so we develop assets with the broad PC market in mind. In fact, our 3D assets are created at the highest quality level based on PC as the foundation.”

Hamaguchi goes on to recount how Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on PC was considered visually superior to the PS5 version. “As our fundamental principle, we do not design assets to meet the lowest baseline. Instead, we create them for high-end environments first.

“We then apply what we call ‘reduction,’ adjusting assets and tuning them appropriately for each platform. This means that we avoid negatively impacting high-spec platforms. This isn’t unique to us, either. I believe it’s become fairly common practice among developers in recent years.”

Of course, some may point out that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launched with several issues on PC, which required patching to reach an acceptable state. Then again, one hopes that the experience will carry over to the finale and produce better results.

The real litmus test will be on June 3rd when the second game becomes available for Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S. While Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 doesn’t have a release date, its title and reveal date have been decided internally. All that’s left to do is wait and hope that it truly matches Hamaguchi’s vision.

Immediately following the aftermath of the first part, Cloud and his friends escape Midgar and into the wider world in pursuit of Sephiroth. Unlike its predecessor, players can traverse massive semi-open world regions, taking on various enemies and side quests, or using Chocobos to get around. You can also engage in mini-games like Queen’s Blood and revamped versions of classic sequences like the parade.

Of course, there are also new party members to recruit, including Yuffie, Cait Sith and Red XIII, each with unique abilities and playstyles. You’ll even control Sephiroth in some flashback sequences. Combat as a whole has improved with a new progression system, Synergy Skills, and Summons. If you’re keen on a hefty role-playing game experience, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has you covered, and streamlined progression is available to speed things up.

Check out our review of the PS5 and PC versions for more details. Square Enix previously confirmed that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 would also be coming to Nintendo Switch 2, along with PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in the future, though a release date is pending.

“That’s a good question, and also, a very difficult question [to answer],” said Hamaguchi when asked about whether he and his team have been savoring their final few months with the trilogy. “We want to see it through, and we want to meet, if not surpass, fan expectations with the final installment. But it would be a lie to say that I haven’t thought, ‘Oh no! There’s still more I have to get through!’ Especially when transitioning from the first to second game. But now that we are seeing the conclusion of the trilogy, there is no wavering. We are focused and want to see it through.”

Leaving behind something you might have worked on for over a decade can understandably be a challenging thing, especially when taking the context of Final Fantasy 7‘s popularity into account. Hamaguchi had spoken in the past, however, that he hopes to work alongside the same team again on future projects. Back in October, he spoke about how the team had bonded throughout their time on the project, and how this helped them improve quite a bit.

“I think once we have got out the third game in the series, and hopefully it’s a big success,” he said. “We’ll definitely move on to something else, and it’d be great to see what that team that we’ve managed to build up together produces. I don’t know if it’s the right way of talking about it, but the bonds, the relationship between the team has definitely improved a lot and strengthened that team.”

Whether this next project will be yet another game in the Final Fantasy series or whether it will be something new altogether is also currently unknown. Despite this, however, Hamaguchi noted that fans of the Remake trilogy can also look forward to the team’s next release.

“I can’t say at this point what that’s going to be, whether it’s going to be a completely new game, completely new IP, whether it’s gonna be something new within the Final Fantasy series, but I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “I think fans who’ve seen what our work has been on the Remake series, the three games, will really look forward to this exciting, new gameplay experience. What we work on after that, I’m very much looking forward to working on that myself as well.”

The most recent entry in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy was 2024’s Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and development on the third game has been described as going well. In another recent interview, Hamaguchi also confirmed that the third game will feature a “powered-up version” of fan-favorite mini-game Queen’s Blood.

In the meantime, also check out our review of the recent Nintendo Switch 2 release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade.

“Queen’s Blood is a very popular and beloved minigame, and I believe a lot of people are still wanting something like that,” Hamaguchi said. “I want to expand on Queen’s Blood so that we are enhancing it, and giving you a more powered-up version of it when you see that third instalment… Queen’s Blood is still going to be available in the third instalment. We just want to expand on it.”

Along with Queen’s Blood, Hamaguchi has also noted that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 will also bring with it other new mini-games, including an updated version of snowboarding from the original. While he didn’t go into too many details, he confirmed that it won’t just be a simple mini-game and that it will be integrated into the game’s story.

“Snowboarding! This is something that fans have really deep memories about!” Hamaguchi said. “I’m afraid I can’t delve too much into the details, but we understand that it’s not going to be just a simple snowboarding minigame. We want to make sure that it’s incorporated into the story to have that sort of connection with the theming of it.”

Hamaguchi also went on to note that development on the third part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy has been going quite well, and that the studio is on track to hit an upcoming internal milestone. He also confirmed that the game is playable, but there is still plenty of work to be done in terms of polish.

“In terms of the third instalment, I believe we are coming along very smoothly,” he explained. “We have set a schedule for ourselves, and I believe we are tracking on time for the milestones we have set. So I’m really thankful for the development team, and I have so much respect for them working on this project. I believe that at this point the game is playable, technically, but we are still trying to polish it so it is at a quality where we can deliver it to our players.”

Square Enix has been busy with growing the audience for the remake trilogy, with the first title—Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade—having recently been released on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S. Check out our review of the Switch 2 version for more details. In the meantime, also check out what Hamaguchi has said about the third part’s official title being locked in, and why the development team opted to use Unreal Engine 4 instead of more recent versions of the game engine.

“There’s not a huge amount of information I can share in terms of future games, but I can reassure players that we’re working on the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second game in the series, and the third game too,” said Hamaguchi, who also went on to note that development on the Switch 2 port of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 is happening simultaneously along with other platforms. “They are being worked on for Nintendo Switch 2 alongside the other platforms right now.”

He also reassured fans of the series that the Switch 2 ports won’t be different from other versions from a gameplay standpoint, since he wants to avoid consumer confusion about which platform is the ideal place to play the games.

“One thing to reassure the fans who want to play these games on Nintendo Switch 2: I’ve got a personal policy where I don’t want to make any versions of my games different or offer a different gameplay experience just because they’re on different hardware,” he explained. “That might get confusing for players, and they might wonder which version of the game they should buy. That’s something I’d very much like to avoid. The Nintendo Switch 2 versions are being developed in a way that keeps the gameplay experience pretty much exactly the same as all the other platforms, so I hope this reassures Nintendo Switch 2 players.”

The Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, coming out later today, will bring with it a few new progression streamlining features. These are essentially “cheats” that can be enabled in the game, giving players options like constant max HP, MP, damage and Gil, among others. However, Square Enix has confirmed that the PC and PS5 versions of the game will also be getting these same features through a free update.

For Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 players that might not be sure yet about whether or not Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is a game that they might enjoy, a demo is also available on both platforms. The demo largely consists of the opening chapter of the game, serving as an introduction to the setting of Midgar, our group of protagonists, and the combat system, culminating in a boss fight. If the demo sways you enough to pick up the full game, your progress can be carried right over.

Playing the demo also brings with it an added bonus in the form of the Survival Set and Revival Earrings that will make the earlier parts of the game a smoother ride for new players.

For more details about Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2, here are 15 things you need to know.

Speaking to GamerBraves in a new interview, he said. “Even from members such as creative director (Tetsuya) Nomura and producer (Yoshinori) Kitase, they didn’t just want to make a remake. They wanted to make a story that could include the compilation of the spin-offs and the soul that they have birthed across the years into this new project, and bring a fresh feel to Final Fantasy 7.”

Obviously, it’s not a simple matter of simply shoving in their stories – context matters, especially when it comes to characters who didn’t exist in the original. After all, where would that leave fans who never played the spin-offs (and given the quality of offerings like Dirge of Cerberus, you can’t really blame them)?

Hamaguchi said, “As a compilation of all these new stories that came post the original Final Fantasy 7, one of the things we sort of grappled with is how much do we show, how much do we include [for] players who wouldn’t know these new characters from the spin-offs.

“When discussing the limits of what we could express within a single game, we had to take timelines into account. At the same time, with many Final Fantasy spin-offs and additions including popular characters not in the original, we considered how much we could include to give players of the remake a fresh sense of life and excitement.”

Of course, other elements bring a degree of freshness to Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which have garnered mixed reactions (if you know, you know). But one thing is for sure: It’s been one hell of a ride, and fans are eager to see where it goes next.

So, when does Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3, or whatever it ends up called, actually release? Your guess is as good as ours, but last October, Hamaguchi said the project was in a “really good state,” and that’s turning into something “really satisfying.” Last month, he commented that the “core game experience” is complete, and how it’s “finally starting to match the vision.” That includes “a new experience and a new scale,” with the Highwind airship forming a “key” part of the same.