Hey, Daily Quest readers.
on Nintendo Switch 2
is being praised as one of the best-looking third-party titles on the
platform so far. But eagle-eyed players have noticed something a little off about our spiky-haired protagonist — Cloud's hair looks frizzy compared to other versions of the game. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's definitely noticeable.
So what's going on? Director Naoki Hamaguchi was asked about this in an interview with Automaton, and instead of dodging the question, he delivered one of the most absurdly detailed technical explanations you'll ever hear about video game hair. Strap in, because this gets nerdy fast.
Why Does Cloud Have Frizzy Hair On Switch 2?
At first, Hamaguchi seemed like he might skate around the question, noting that it's important to maintain gameplay parity across all platforms for Remake and Rebirth. But when pushed for specifics, he went all in — even after saying he'd try to keep it simple.
Spoiler: He did not keep it simple.
"Hair is made up of extremely fine elements, so if you render it as-is, individual strands can flicker at the pixel level. To address this, we implemented a special process whereby each strand of hair switches on or off at the pixel level from frame to frame. When combined with TAA (temporal anti-aliasing), this allows the fine lines of the hair to connect smoothly across frames."
So what does that mean in plain English? Basically, Square Enix uses a clever trick where hair pixels flicker on and off between frames, and then TAA (temporal anti-aliasing) blends those frames together to make hair look smooth and natural.
TAA works by combining information from the current frame with previous frames, layering them to reduce jagged edges on character outlines. It's a common technique — and it works great on most platforms.
But the Switch 2 introduces some complications.
Handheld Mode Is The Culprit
Here's where the frizziness comes in. Hamaguchi explained:
"Nintendo Switch 2 has a handheld mode, which comes with some extra constraints. To reduce processing load, there are situations where the game is forced to lower its internal resolution. When resolution drops, TAA becomes less stable, and the rough, jagged edges in the hair become more noticeable."
Now, before you panic — you're not getting a lower-resolution image when playing in handheld mode. Square Enix uses DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) to compensate, which is Nvidia's AI-powered upscaling technology that predicts what an image should look like and fills in the gaps.
In theory, DLSS should keep Cloud's hair looking sharp. But here's the problem: DLSS doesn't play nice with Square's frame-to-frame hair pixel switching technique. The AI upscaling interferes with the effect, and that's what causes the frizzy, slightly off look players have noticed.
Will It Get Fixed?
Hamaguchi has promised that Square Enix will continue optimizing all versions of the game, so there's a chance the frizziness could be addressed in future updates. However, most of the studio's Switch 2 efforts are likely focused on getting Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ready for its summer launch on the platform.
Speaking of Rebirth — that game is reportedly going to take up over 100GB of the Switch 2's limited storage. So hopefully, if we're dedicating that much space to it, Cloud's hair will at least look pristine.
Final Thoughts
You have to respect Hamaguchi for giving such a thorough, technical breakdown instead of brushing off the question. Most directors would've said "it's a hardware limitation" and moved on. Instead, we got a masterclass in hair rendering, TAA, and DLSS compatibility issues.
Is frizzy hair a dealbreaker? Absolutely not. FF7 Remake on Switch 2 still looks fantastic overall. But it's a fun reminder that even the smallest visual details require an insane amount of engineering behind the scenes.
Have you noticed Cloud's frizzy hair on Switch 2? Does it bother you, or are you just happy to have Remake portable? Drop your thoughts below! Stay questing — and follow @TheDailyQuest0 for more daily gaming quests! 🎮⚔️💇
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