Next week sees the worldwide release of *Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles* on consoles and PC. I’ve been testing the game on Steam, Switch, and Switch 2 to see how well it performs on Nintendo’s hybrid consoles, what new features the PC version has, and how it runs on the ROG Ally and Steam Deck. I’ve also put together my recommended settings for the Steam Deck. If you’re interested, you can read our complete review of *Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles*.
I’m planning a detailed comparison of three Final Fantasy Tactics games: The War of the Lions, the original PlayStation version, and The Ivalice Chronicles. This article will specifically look at the Steam, Nintendo Switch, and the new Nintendo Switch 2 Edition versions of The Ivalice Chronicles, and how they stack up against the others.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade impressions
Owners of Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles on Switch will receive a free upgrade to the enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 Edition through the eShop. This version allows you to continue your progress and use any DLC you already own, seamlessly transferring save data between the original Switch version and the Switch 2 native release. While the game runs smoothly at 60fps on the Switch 2, the visual quality when played on a TV (docked) isn’t as sharp as expected. Considering how good it looks in handheld mode at 60fps, I anticipated support for higher resolutions like 1440p or 4K when docked. On my 1440p display, the menus and text appear somewhat blurry, suggesting the game isn’t running at a native 1440p resolution or higher while docked, although the gameplay itself looks acceptable.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles looks good when played in handheld mode. However, there are some small performance hiccups when navigating the world map, and hopefully those can be fixed. It’s a bit of a letdown that this version doesn’t offer much beyond improved graphics; it lacks both mouse and touchscreen controls. Considering the PC version includes mouse support, I was expecting the same feature on the Switch 2.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles Switch port impressions
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles plays well on the original Nintendo Switch, especially in handheld mode. However, it doesn’t look as sharp on a larger, high-resolution TV when docked. While the graphics are a step down from the newer Switch version, the game runs smoothly in handheld mode with only occasional minor hiccups on the world map. Surprisingly, the original Switch actually handles the world map better than the newer model. If you plan on playing portably, it looks good on the Switch OLED, though you might experience slightly longer loading times compared to other platforms.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles PC port features and graphics options
The PC version of Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles works with both controllers and keyboard/mouse. However, full keyboard and mouse support is only available in the enhanced edition, not the original Final Fantasy Tactics. You can adjust the display mode (fullscreen, borderless, or windowed), resolution (from 720p up to 4K), brightness, and v-sync settings. You can also limit the mouse cursor to the game window, but there aren’t any advanced graphics options. Currently, the game is limited to 60 frames per second, which could cause some scrolling problems if your monitor’s refresh rate isn’t a multiple of 60.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles Steam Deck recommended settings and impressions
Valve has labeled Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles as ‘Playable’ on the Steam Deck, but not ‘Verified.’ Their reason is that some of the in-game text might be hard to read, which I don’t think is accurate – the text is certainly no more problematic than what’s found in Elden Ring, a game Valve *did* verify. Aside from that, the game is designed for a 16:9 aspect ratio, so you’ll see black bars on the Steam Deck’s 16:10 screen. However, it otherwise runs great, and actually looks and plays better than the versions available on Nintendo Switch and the upcoming Switch 2, especially considering its customizable input options (which I’ll explain later).
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles runs smoothly at 60 frames per second, even when playing handheld, with quick loading times. When connected to a monitor, I was able to increase the resolution to 1440p and still maintain a consistent 60fps during testing. Playing at native 4K resolution may cause occasional frame rate drops in menus and during certain animations.
To get the most out of your Steam Deck, I suggest setting the right trackpad as your mouse – it gives you much more accurate control than the analog stick. Plus, you can use the touchscreen for targeting. This simple change makes a huge difference! If you have the Steam Deck OLED, it’s also a good idea to limit the refresh rate to 60Hz. This prevents visual issues like scrolling problems when playing games at 60 frames per second on the device’s 90Hz screen.
I noticed a visual issue with Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles, similar to what happened with Dragon Quest Builders on Steam Deck. The game started with HDR enabled, but there’s no setting within the game to control it, making the colors look faded. I fixed this by using a launch option (DXVK_HDR=0 %command%) to disable HDR. It didn’t happen right away, but the problem appeared randomly after a few days of playing.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles ROG Ally impressions
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles runs smoothly on the ROG Ally, consistently hitting 60 frames per second, even when set to the 15W power mode and offering quick loading times. While it can run on the 10W mode, performance dips a bit. For the best handheld experience, we suggest playing at 1080p using the 15W setting.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles load times compared across Switch, Switch 2, Steam Deck, and PC
When testing how quickly Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles loads, I wanted to go beyond standard testing. I checked how long it took to load the game with both the Enhanced and Classic graphics options, as well as loading into a battle and a story scene. To do this, I installed the game in a few different ways: on the internal SSD of both the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, on the internal storage of the Nintendo Switch 2, and on an SD card in my Switch OLED.
| Device | Dash to title | Version | Save | Story | Battle |
| Switch | 9-10 | 5-6 | 2 | 4-5 | 5-6 |
| Switch 2 | 7-8 | 4 | 1-2 | 4 | 4-5 |
| Steam Deck | 12 | 3-4 | 1-2 | 4 | 4 |
| ROG Ally | 7 | 3 | 1-2 | 3 | 4 |
Just so you know, all the loading times mentioned are measured in seconds. ‘Dash to title’ refers to how long it takes to get from the main dashboard to the game’s opening screen. ‘Version’ means loading a particular version of the game from the opening screen. ‘Save’ refers to loading a specific saved game. And ‘Story’ and ‘Battle’ represent the loading times for story scenes and battles, respectively – specifically, until you regain control of the on-screen cursor during a battle.
Okay, so I tested loading this game on a few different consoles. The Switch 2 and the ROG Ally were the quickest to start it up, but honestly, the difference between all of them wasn’t huge. The original Switch felt a *little* slower loading specific versions of the game compared to the Switch 2, but it wasn’t a massive deal. I couldn’t test the Switch version *on* the Switch 2 because I didn’t have the upgrade pack, unfortunately.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles visuals compared across Switch, Switch 2, and PC
Playing Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles on the Switch 2 at 1440p is decent, though the image could be sharper. Luckily, it looks great when played on the Switch 2’s screen in handheld mode. The same is true for the Switch version on the OLED model. On PC, the game runs smoothly and looks excellent, providing crisp visuals on handheld devices and when docked, even at higher resolutions. It’s not a demanding game at all.
You’ll really notice the lower resolution when looking at menus, character portraits, and text within the game’s interface. I’ve included some comparison images – taken with my capture card while docked, with the Switch’s built-in capture feature in handheld mode, and using Steam screenshots – to show the differences. I’ve also included a section from the same battle to highlight these visual differences. Please view the image at full screen for the best comparison.
Which is the best portable version of Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
Currently, the Steam Deck OLED’s main benefits for playing Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles on the go are its longer battery life and superior screen quality compared to the Switch 2 version. I’ve retested both devices and found that while the Switch 2 has a few minor issues on the world map, it delivers a great handheld experience. However, when connected to a TV or monitor (1440p or 4K), the Steam Deck OLED looks noticeably better than the Switch 2.
For playing Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles, the Steam Deck offers a superior experience if you want to switch between playing on a TV and on the go, as it can handle higher resolutions without slowing down. However, the game plays well on all platforms I’ve tried, including the Nintendo Switch (especially on the OLED model) and the ROG Ally, making it a great portable option on any of those devices.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles will be available starting September 30th on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
Read More
- AWS crash causes $2,000 Smart Beds to overheat and get stuck upright
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Katanire’s Yae Miko Cosplay: Genshin Impact Masterpiece
- When will Absolum have crossplay? It might take a while, but It’s on the horizon
- Brent Oil Forecast
- Actors Who Voiced the Most Disney Characters
- Shape of Dreams Best Builds Guide – Aurena, Shell, Bismuth & Nachia
- LINK PREDICTION. LINK cryptocurrency
- Can you change voice and gender in Blue Protocol Star Resonance? We explain the problem
- Does Escape from Duckov have controller support? Here’s the full breakdown
2025-09-24 16:01