“A Final Fantasy XIV Switch 2 review over a month after its launch? What took you so long, Jenni?” Well, listen. It’s a big MMORPG, for one. But there’s more to it than that. Any MMO is a living beast. You can’t really judge it immediately. It’s not fair to a team constantly working on launch issues. But now that I have spent over a month messing around with it, the Switch 2 release of FFXIV is shaping up to be a really solid version of the game that could work well as both a primary platform or supplemental secondary way to play.
It’s difficult to even begin to broach the story of FFXIV given the Switch 2 version offers options to be prepared all the way up through the Dawntrail expansion. In short, our avatar is a seemingly ordinary individual and new Adventurer’s Guild member who soon finds themselves connected to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn in the Seventh Umbral Era. They are essentially picked by Hydaelyn. Naturally, this means we are the Warrior of Light and are tasked with protecting Eorzea.
Since this is such a mammoth MMORPG and one we’ve seen since 2013, we’ll focus on the Switch 2-specific elements of FFXIV. First, I’m honestly really impressed with how enjoyable it is in handheld mode and feel like it’s the best way to play. The control scheme works well, with it being easy to target characters, enemies, and in-game elements or use skills. Menus are easier to navigate than I expected, especially with the minus button as a means of shifting through to find what I wanted. I also appreciate just being able to, like, tap on the touchscreen to quickly move through a menu or tap icons in the hotbar. Using the built-in keyboard can be a bit frustrating, as you might expect, and means I couldn’t respond as quickly to folks in-game as I would with a more traditional method.
However, what’s also great is the compatibility. There is mouse and keyboard support with the Switch 2 version of FFXIV. Of course, this is the docked approach. But the Joy-Con 2 mouse support is an option that feels unique compared to the other console releases and works well here.
As for performance, it’s probably what you’d expect from FFXIV on the Switch 2. Especially if you already played other Square Enix games on the system like entries in the FFVII Remake trilogy. It looks really good, but the textures aren’t as intricate or detailed as the PS5 or PC version can be. I’d say it’s probably closer in appearance to the PS4 release. I will say I’ve noticed things are a bit more stable in September 2026 than they were in August 2026, in terms of things like frame rate and even loading. But when there’s a busy part of the city or something like a 24-player Alliance Raid, I did notice it felt like the 30fps might have a few moments where it struggled. But even so, it ran well! I could take part and contribute, not feeling like I couldn’t prepare for telegraphed attacks or as though I was lagging behind compared to other players.
What I will say is that the key to an optimal kind of experience in FFXIV on Switch 2 is customization. Work on keybinding. Get rid of nameplates to help remove the clutter on the screen. Head into display limits to perhaps set things to “normal” to see if that helps with loading. Don’t be afraid to turn off effects, if you’re okay with missing out on those visuals, to help with performance.
Yes, there are times when the Final Fantasy XIV experience still seems not exactly optimal on the Switch 2, but the progress Square Enix is making is great! I’m impressed! Bugs are patched quickly. Seeing stable 30 fps is great. There can still sometimes be some loading issues, and it’s not the easiest version for maintaining conversations due to the keyboard entry system. But considering everything, it’s worth trying if you love the game and I think will prove to be an even more viable option as we see more updates over the rest of 2026.
Final Fantasy XIV is available on the Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.siliconera.com/review-ffxiv-is-growing-into-a-solid-switch-2-game/
