Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on Nintendo Switch 2 Goes Minimalist by Removing Most Interior Decor and Background Props

The Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth demo on Nintendo Switch 2 has drawn a mix of criticism, praise, and humor for stripping away most interior decor and background props, making rooms feel somewhat bare compared to the PS5 version.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth arrives on Switch 2 on June 3, but owners of Nintendo's latest console can already try the free demo, which covers the game's opening, including the iconic Nibelheim flashback that reveals the tragic events 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. While the PS5 runs Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth at 60 FPS and the Switch 2 only manages a maximum of 30 FPS, the Switch 2 overall does a decent job with graphics, though there are some artifacts, slowdown, and pop-in in busier and open-world areas. However, most of these issues are subtle and unlikely to be noticed unless you're actively looking for them.

What is not subtle is that many background props are missing in the Switch 2 demo. This is apparent when exploring houses as Cloud in Nibelheim. All props, such as flower vases, framed photos, pots, and pans, are gone—both during gameplay and cutscenes. This makes the flashback where Cloud first returns 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.

Cloud got hungry on Switch 2 pic.twitter.com/w2ruYh9Esq

The missing fruit bowl in the post above has sparked many jokes. "Do you want food or frames?" one reply quipped.

Japanese-speaking commenters have also weighed in on this striking difference. "I checked out the other rooms too and lol'd because they've gone minimalist," said one. Another commented, "However many objects they remove, it'll still have the Gongaga chicken quest" (if you know, you know). The emptier rooms even prompted someone to recreate the Confused Travolta (Pulp Fiction) meme.

🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/FdoEagJcjw

Despite the criticism and humor, many commenters 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 a Japanese X user. People also recalled past instances where Nintendo's Switch hardware surprised gamers by running performance-heavy titles, like the Switch 1 version of The Witcher 3.

Cartwright suggested, "For the most part, what they have achieved here is miraculous. You've got a game built from the ground up for PlayStation 5 that 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.