When Final Fantasy VII Rebirth PC was first announced, the clamors were more for the ability to finally see Cloud, Tifa and the rest of the crew in “better graphics.” But not everyone has the type of PC that can run the game with the best visuals possible. Some players these days also only play on gaming handhelds. This quick play test is for those people as we played FFVII Rebirth PC on the ROG Ally.
Yes, just the ROG Ally and not its half-step upgrade, the ROG Ally X. As a first generation device, we feel the ROG Ally is a good baseline to start with.
Is FFVII Rebirth PC handheld compatible?
The official Final Fantasy VII account across multiple social platforms have already announced that Rebirth is Steam Deck verified. That’s not the end-all be-all for gaming handhelds, but it’s a good place to start.
At the very least, it confirms that you should be able to play the game with only a handheld in tow.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Remake Intergrade are both Steam Deck verified ✅
Pre-purchase the Twin Pack up to 30% off to download and start FFVII Remake Intergrade today ahead of FFVII Rebirth’s launch on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/9JJYX5U075
— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) January 17, 2025
PC Requirements
Square Enix understands that not all PCs are created equal. That’s why they made sure to release the PC requirements to adequately enjoy the game, no matter the hardware you’re rocking.
Here’s a look at the specs.
For a better appreciation of what each configuration will look like, they even shared a PC Graphics Preset Video.
FFVII Rebirth on ROG Ally
So, with all of that out of way, what’s the experience like playing the game on the ROG Ally? In a word: Decent.
It’s been at least a couple of years now since we’ve seen these PC Gaming Handhelds handle AAA games. And as someone who grew up and started playing first on Nintendo Famicom or the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) as it’s most widely known in the Western world, I continue to be floored by the fact that we’re now able to play modern games on a device we can bring anywhere. I digress.
The technology is relatively young and does come with compromises. Chief of which is length of play time. Typically, you’ll only get, at most, under two hours of playtime if you’re pushing your PC Gaming Handheld to the brink.
With FFVII Rebirth PC on the ROG Ally, that experience rings true.
Playtime duration
To get the best possible experience, I had the ROG Ally on Turbo Mode with the FPS (frames per second) limiter turned off.
In the first hour or so of the playthrough covering the beginning of the game, the GPU was operating at 95% capacity with the FPS fluctuating from a low of 27 fps to a high of 60 fps.
In these settings, I was able to play for roughly around an hour and 14 minutes before the battery levels reached red levels – somewhere between 15-18%.
I plugged in the ROG Ally before resuming my playthrough.
Visuals and performance
Still playing on battery, I resumed my playthrough. All the while, I didn’t tweak the graphics settings at all. By default when I fired up the game, the main Graphics Quality setting was set to Medium.
However, other graphic settings like Background Model Detail, Ocean Detail, Character Model Detail, and a few more were set to high.
With these settings, I tried playing the game on the various modes of the ROG Ally.
Operator Mode
In Operator Mode, the game had no problem playing cutscenes. But once gameplay kicked in, the lag and stutters were pretty bothersome. I do not recommend playing in this mode.
Performance Mode
In Performance Mode, the experience was a lot better. If you’re trying to squeeze more playtime while playing unplugged, this is the best compromise.
You’ll experience some noticeable stutters here and there, especially when there’s a lot happening on the screen. But for the most part, this mode was serviceable.
Turbo Mode
Turbo Mode is the best mode to play such a demanding game like FFVII Rebirth PC on the ROG Ally. That’s pretty obvious. It’s also still not perfect.
When you get to the spots where you’re starting to unlock Limit Breaks and Special Abilities, you will experience some stuttering. But it’s not to a level that’s totally bothersome.
The experiences mentioned above were all done while playing on battery or unplugged. We’re pretty sure it’ll improve if the ROG Ally was plugged.
We also didn’t tweak the graphics settings at all as we had a limited time to play prior to the official release of the game. Rest assured we’ll conduct more tests with more handhelds and more configurations as soon as we can.
Should you play FFVII Rebirth on PC?
FFVII Rebirth is my personal Game of the Year for 2024. In my spoiler-free review I mentioned that it’s “the game we all envisioned when a remake of the original Final Fantasy VII was first announced. It’s packed to the brim with mini-games, activities, and quest lines that are all worth your time, with a main storyline that is captivating, enthralling, and awe-inspiring.”
About a year later and my opinion remains the same. No matter what type of gamer you are, FFVII Rebirth is well-worth checking out. I feel the overall experience is that good. And I’m happy more players are now able to enjoy it as it becomes available on PC.
FFVII Rebirth on PC starts at US$ 69.99.
As of publishing time, it’s still available for pre-purchase at 30% off, which is US$ 48.99.
Capcom is celebrating the arrival of Yasmine, the first-ever Filipina character in the Street Fighter series, with an official community event in the Philippines this August.
The Official Street Fighter 6 ‘Yasmine’ Community Event takes place on August 9, 2026 at Salud! by Primera Bar & Restaurant in Palanan, Makati. Doors open at 2:00 PM, with tournament matches, community activities, giveaways, and free play sessions scheduled throughout the day.
Meet Yasmine, Street Fighter 6’s first Filipina fighter
Yasmine joins Street Fighter 6 as the first playable character in the game’s Year 4 roster.
According to Capcom, she learned to fight alongside her older brother under the guidance of her grandfather. After her brother’s disappearance, she returns to combat using high-speed Eskrima techniques while wielding a Karambit knife.
She is joined in the Year 4 lineup by Arjun, Tifa from the Final Fantasy VII Remake series, and Bosch. Her release also coincides with balance updates for the entire Street Fighter 6 roster.
Yasmine becomes available on August 3, 2026 for players who own the Year 4 Character Pass or Year 4 Ultimate Pass.
Community tournament and exclusive merchandise
The Makati event will feature a double-elimination tournament, beginning with Best-of-3 matches before switching to Best-of-5 during the Top 8 Finals.
The schedule includes:
- 2:00 PM: Doors Open, Player Check-in, Controller Button Checks, and Free Play Warmups
- 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM: Welcome Speech & Official Street Fighter 6 Yasmine Gameplay Showcase
- 3:15 PM – 5:00 PM: Tournament Pools
- 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM: Top 8 Finals (Main Stage Broadcast) & Prize Presentation Ceremony for Champion, 2nd and 3rd Placements.
- 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM: Premium Community Giveaways, Group Photo Ops, and Closing Remarks
- 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Free Play and Community Networking
Attendees can also receive exclusive event merchandise while supplies last, including a Yasmine-themed T-shirt, lanyard, keychains, and themed food and refreshments.
Capcom says admission is subject to venue capacity and will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Watch the event online
Fans who cannot attend in person can watch the tournament live through the Capcom Asia Official YouTube Channeland the Enduins Games Official YouTube Channel.
Capcom also teased additional announcements, including appearances from cosplay personalities, fighting game veterans, and content creators, which will be revealed closer to the event.
Street Fighter 6 Yasmine community event details
- Date: August 9, 2026
- Time: 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM
- Venue: Salud! by Primera Bar & Restaurant, Palanan, Makati City
- Tournament: Double-elimination (FT2, Top 8 FT3)
- Livestream: Capcom Asia Official YouTube Channel and Enduins Games Official YouTube Channel
Gaming
Most of the world’s PlayStations will be officially useless by 2028
PlayStation’s disastrous no-disc policy is now a lot worse than you thought.
Last week, we lamented the loss of the PlayStation disc. As we described, the loss isn’t just a major blow to nostalgia for aging gamers, but it also puts a huge question mark on game ownership. Well, there’s another wrinkle that the world is slowly realizing. By deleting physical discs, PlayStation has effectively blockaded their entire service from countries without an official online store.
If you haven’t heard, PlayStation is ceasing the production of physical discs for new games starting 2028. The console will become an all-digital platform. Now, we can blather on and on about how this sucks for ownership, but all gamers will still have access to games online at the very least. Right?
Wrong.
Not every country has an official PlayStation Store or the ability to create a PSN account. In fact, a staggering amount don’t; 121 countries (or 62 percent of the entire world) don’t have official access to the online storefront.
If you live in any of these countries, you’re likely familiar with some unofficial solutions: that is, setting your country elsewhere where the store exists. But, because it’s an unofficial solution, doing this is technically against PlayStation’s policies and can result in bans.
That being said, as noted by users on Reddit, this means that, on a very technical and legal level, these 121 countries will no longer be able to buy physical or digital games starting 2028. Because of a clarified policy, you can still play older games, but if you want to play the latest Call of Duty or NBA 2K, you are out of luck.
There’s no official list of affected countries, other than those collated by others manually. But if you’ve never been able to set your own country on the PlayStation Network, you’re a part of it.
Gaming
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced comes to life at Skypark Macau
Themed event lets fans experience the game in real life from July 17 to 26
Assassin’s Creed fans are invited to celebrate the launch of Black Flag Resynced through a limited-time themed experience at the Skypark Macau Tower.
The experience will run from July 17 to 26, and will feature elements from the title brought into a real-world setting. There’s themed installations, photo opportunities, and exclusive event rewards.
Aside from that, there is a concept art gallery and replica props inspired by the action-adventure.
The experience opens to the public from 11:00 A.M. on Friday, and will remain available until the last Sunday of the month.
It will be more fulfilling to come on the first day, as there will be exclusive merchandise sold only on July 17.
Guests who purchase the game on-site, or present proof of purchase of the game at the event will be eligible to redeem an exclusive item, available only until supplies last.
Moreover, those who complete an eligible activity during the Assassin’s Creed event period at Skypark Macau will receive a paper scroll replica of the “Letter for Duncan Walpole”, while supplies last.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a faithful remake of 2013’s Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag. Rebuilt from the ground up and powered by the latest Anvil engine, the game features updated visuals, enriched gameplay, and new narrative content.
Set during the Golden Age of Piracy, the game invites players to sail the Caribbean as Edward Kenway. The rebellious pirate captain is drawn into the centuries-old conflict between Assassins and Templars.
As the protagonist pursues glory and fortune, he crosses paths with legendary figures such as Blackbeard, Anne Bonny, and Calico Jack. All this while the fate of everything the pirates have built hangs in the balance.
The game is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
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