- The EA FC 26 Closed Beta is locked at 30 FPS on the Nintendo Switch 2, causing plenty of disappointment within the community.
- Fans on Reddit are flaming EA for poor optimization and calling for a boycott of the game.
- The lack of crossplay is also being criticized, since it results in a significantly worse online experience.
The EA FC 26 closed beta is currently live across all platforms, giving invited players a glimpse at the latest iteration of the long-running franchise. These betas offer a snapshot of how the game will look at launch, with technical details serving as a concrete reflection of the final product. So, you can imagine the disappointment of Nintendo Switch 2 owners when they discovered that FC 26 is locked at 30 FPS on their shiny new handheld.
EA FC titles, or FIFA games as they were previously known, have been popping on the Switch since 2018. Until EA FC 24, these titles carried a ‘Legacy Edition’ label, indicating the use of outdated engines, lower resolution models, and a general visual downgrade when compared to their console counterparts. The label was finally dropped with FC 24’s Switch port, which employed the Frostbite Engine and brought the experience closer to PlayStation and Xbox versions. However, the 30 FPS cap remained, along with the absence of crossplay.
Given the Switch 2’s significantly improved hardware, fans were hoping that EA FC 26 would finally be able to deliver a buttery-smooth 60 FPS experience. Unfortunately, these hopes have been punctured by the beta, which is locked to 30 FPS in both handheld and docked modes. These details emerged on the r/FIFAswitch subreddit, and it didn’t take long for community sentiment to turn sour, with some users calling for a boycott.
As seen under this post from user ‘iWesleyyyx,’ fans are fed up with the 30 FPS lock and were clearly expecting a framerate jump facilitated by the next-gen Switch 2. “Agree with OP. Talk with your wallet. Do not buy this sh*t until they make it 60fps and spend the time optimizing it,” said one commenter, with another user adding, “30fps handheld would be bad enough, but 30fps docked is a joke.”
Any attempts to cut EA some slack are undercut by better-looking games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Street Fighter 6, and Mario Kart World, all of which run at higher framerates on the Switch 2. Fans also highlighted the more concerning crossplay issue, which restricts Switch players from playing with users on other platforms. This results in long matchmaking times for online games and a barren FUT Transfer Market, which is a core element of the game mode.
These issues have been bothering players for years, and with FC 26’s Switch 2 port failing to deliver a next-gen overhaul, it looks like the camel’s back is broken.
With all that being said, do you play EA FC on the Switch? If you do, will you be purchasing FC 26 despite the 30 FPS cap? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
