Gamers have had a mostly positive experience since Final Fantasy XIV dropped on Nintendo’s newest console on Aug. 4. However, FFXIV loading times on the Switch 2 were unusually long when the screen faded to black in instanced duties. Fortunately for Switch 2 players, Square Enix pushed out an emergency hotfix early Aug. 7 to address this issue.
How Long Are FFXIV Loading Times on the Switch 2?
According to Square Enix, the delays were worst when the screen faded to black during a battle phase transition, when being revived after being knocked out, and when using Return or a shortcut. Players were quick to make posts about the long loading times on the Switch 2.
Before the maintenance, EazyAsPiezzz on Twitter uploaded a video of themselves reviving a teammate. The process took about 20 seconds. They also commented that the raise took even longer than on the PlayStation 4.
Even newcomers to the game know that 20 seconds is much too long to be out of the fight. Not only do you feel as though you’re letting your teammates down, but you’re also likely to be bored for what seems like a lifetime while your allies fall. As one person said in the replies, “Dude died in Stormblood and respawned in Dawntrail.”
Living Life in the Fast Lane
Loading times on the Switch 2 are now significantly shorter, thanks to optimized processing that accelerates data loading. Xiphos_YT on Twitter posted a video of the same action as above, which was essentially instantaneous on the Switch 2. Some people, including me, noticed that it was even faster than on PC. 😮
Other players confirmed that the tuneup seems to have fixed slow loading times in different situations.
“Teleports across the map using aetherytes are instantaneous. Using return to go back to the base aetheryte takes 3-5 seconds (screen used to go black for 15-20 seconds),” said u/KermitUzuki on Reddit. “CEs load in at normal speed (aka, 5-6 seconds before the fight starts… not 14 seconds into the fight).”
Well Worth the Inconvenience
Other, less serious bugs were also fixed during today’s maintenance. For example, the “quest completed” icon for the “In the Shadow of the Tower” quest in Occult Crescent: North Horn would show up even if the quest hadn’t yet been completed. There are too many bugs to list here, but you can view the full list of fixed bugs on the official FFXIV website.
Aside from technical hassles, Switch 2 players have to deal with region lockouts. If a player’s Square Enix account and Nintendo account are registered in different regions, they can’t play FFXIV on their console. Nintendo, however, is offering refunds to those who can’t play the game because of this.
If you’re still experiencing long loading times on the Switch 2 or any other issues, leave feedback in the Square Enix forums. We’re sure they’ll appreciate it!
If you’re a seasoned FFXIV veteran, be kind to all the new Sprouts on the Switch 2 running around, and be sure to check back with Icy Veins for more news and guides on FFXIV!
