I loveFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, more than I care to admit. It’s a beautiful, sprawling game that perfectly builds upon its predecessor through its characters and world design innovations while also offering a compelling RPG experience unlike any other. From its perfectly paced narrative to its phenomenally written characters, I knew the second I started it thatRebirthwas the perfect game for me. It is so perfect, in fact, that I’ve bought it twice, once on PC and once on PS5. I figured I’ve boughtSkyrimso many times that gettingRebirthtwice is child’s play in comparison.
Rebirth’ssomewhat glowing PC reviewswere also enough to convince me that owning it on my PC would be worthwhile, especially as it meant I could take it on the go with my ROG Ally if I so chose. Now that I’ve completed the game on both platforms - for context it was on the base PS5 and my PC - I feel pretty confident that one of these versions is better than the other. However, there’s a lot of nuance here, especially considering the infamously fickle nature of PC gaming.
What’s Better About The PC Version of FF7 Rebirth
Better Environmental & Texture Details, Customizable Settings, Higher Framerates
The first thing that hit me when I playedFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthon PC was its vastly improved draw distances. One of theworst parts ofFF7 Rebirthwas the unbelievably bad pop-in that saw objects barely a foot away appear out of nowhere as Cloud and Co ran around. It was even worse while riding a Chocobo, something that I ended up barely doing - although, frankly, I would have walked around regardless as I despise the clumsy Chocobo controls on both platforms. However,FF7 Rebirth’sPC port practically fixes this pop-in problem, which was a dream come true.
I won’t be hyperbolic and say that it’s gone forever. Despite being one of thebest RPGs ever made, and one of my personal top 10 titles,Rebirth’sgraphical woes are still ever-present on PC. However, while in other areas such as Junon and the Gongaga region, I found the pop-in to still be a tad distracting, it is infinitely better than the base PS5, and, as I understand it, the PS5 Pro versions. Additionally,objects in the distance are of a much higher quality, such as distant mountains and vegetation, which also helps make exploration more immersive.
The texture quality is better across the board on the PC version. I noticed this the most on objects in towns, especially within Kalm and Costa Del Sol where I found a lot of the textures to be quite low-res during my first playthrough on PS5. No longer do watermelons look like they’d cut my mouth the second I bite into them, and signs are actually legible.It’s a small difference, as the textures are still the muddiest I’ve seen in a game of this scale, but one I nevertheless noticedduring my entire PC playthrough.
Of course,by far the biggest change between the PS5 and PC versions is the adjustable settings. This allows players to reach much higher framerates - although they’re still capped - and those on less powerful PCs to still run it, albeit without the bells and whistles that the PC port offers. There’s also the inclusion ofFF7 Rebirthmods, which are already improving the experience by fixing a lot of the major issues this PC port had - many of which I encountered.
What’s Better About The PS5 Version Of FF7 Rebirth
It’ll Offer A More Stable Experience For Some Players
However, as much as I want to convince you that the PC port ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis flawless - more to justify spending yet another $70 more than anything - I don’t really feel like that’s true. That’s largely because, much like all ofSony’s poor PC ports, at least at launch,FF7 Rebirthon PC was riddled with issues. I absolutely blasted through the game on PC, skipping a lot of the optional side content - including that awful chicken side quest in Gongaga Village - and during that time I suffered from stuttering, endless lag, and the occasional crash.
FF7 Rebirth’sperformance issues on PCare worse than the base PS5’s were at launch. Unlike the PS5, which was blurry at 60fps and a little stuttery at 30,Rebirthis inconsistent at the best of times on PC. Frankly, I longed for the PS5 version of the game - at one point even deliberated on quitting my PC run and just restarting on PS5 again - because it offered a far more stable experience, even if it is lacking the visual enhancements of the PC port.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Finally Sold Me On RPGs Without Customizable Characters
For a long time, I stayed away from RPGs that didn’t let me customize my character, but Final Fantasy VII Rebirth finally showed me the appeal.
I do think that much of this is alleviated if either you have a very powerful PC capable of mitigating much ofRebirth’sperformance issues, or you’ve not played the game already. I sunk close to 100 hours into my first playthrough, so I knew this game and how it was supposed to run and feel off by heart. A second playthrough at a more inconsistent framerate experiencing the same content, while still fun, was frustrating. I don’t think I’d have been as bothered by it had it been my first-ever playthrough ofRebirth.
Which Version Of FF7 Rebirth Is Actually Best
The PC Version Is Better, But Only In Certain Circumstances
The PC port ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis undoubtedly the best version of the game, but only under specific circumstances.The benefits the PC port ofRebirthoffers are only worthwhile if you have a powerful enough PCto actually run it. Considering it is already quite a demanding game, coupled with its performance issues at launch, this may not be everyone. In that case, the base PS5 version is better, as it’s more stable thanks to a long period of updates, and by virtue of being a console game.
Additionally,those who are lucky enough to own a PS5 Pro don’t need to worry about gettingFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthon PC. While there are some improvements, they’re not as drastic as they are between the base PS5 version and the PC one, at least from my research. In my experience, there were substantial differences between the base PS5 and PC versions, which are even distinguishable on compressed YouTube videos. However, from watching plenty comparing the PC version to the PS5 Pro one, they seem practically identical to me.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Mobile Game Tie-Ins Are Out Of Place
Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth expects players to play FF7: The First Soldier or FF7: Ever Crisis. Otherwise there will be some confusion in the story.
Of course, the PC port with its improved textures, pop-in, and customizable options - not to mention higher framerate options - is by far the superior option and a great choice for those with the luxury of a great PC. However, I’m not convinced, even after completing the game twice on both platforms that anyone is missing out by playing the base PS5 version ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthover the PC one, especially as, even without the fancy visual upgrades, it is still a phenomenal game.
