New “Fire Emblem” Locked at 30fps — Some Say “GTA’s 30fps Too, So It’s Fine”

From our other sites

The story

A debate broke out on 5ch’s Hardware/Industry (Geha) board over the new “Fire Emblem” title being locked at 30fps on Switch 2. The thread’s original poster complained, “Zelda can do 60fps” and “I wanted to enjoy silky-smooth battle scenes,” but other posters pushed back one after another with comments like “Not many people demand 60fps from a strategy RPG” and “GTA runs at 30fps too, so it’s fine.” Meanwhile, some questioned the hardware’s processing power outright, saying “Only getting 30fps with graphics like this means the Switch 2’s performance is just too weak.” The debate over frame rate remained split as the thread went on.

What people said

1AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:43
By the way, I bought it and I'm playing it right now, so I'm not just an armchair critic who hasn't touched the game ("eapu" — 5ch slang for pretending to have played something).
2AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:44
Re: #1
Probably because
not that many people demand 60fps from strategy RPGs?
8AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:47
Re: #2
Guess that's just how it is…
Felt like such a waste since even Zelda can do 60fps. I wanted to enjoy the world and savor silky-smooth combat, especially given how pricey the Switch 2 is.
15AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:50
Re: #2
But weren't you the one demanding 60fps for Persona 3 Reload?
3AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:45
Here's proof I actually own it.
https://gzo.ai/i/CkA5RKT.jpg
5AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:46
Re: #3
Attach your ID too while you're at it.
6AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:46
GTA's supposedly the strongest game in the world, and even that's 30fps, so it should be fine, right?
9AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:48
Driving games like GTA need 60fps, but simulaiton games like FE are fine at 30fps.
10AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:48
Re: #8
According to people overseas,
apparently it's 60fps in handheld mode.
22AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:54
Re: #10
Just tried it myself — handheld mode is 30fps too.
24AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:55
60fps is a must these days, right?

60/100 — IGN
60/100 — VGC
60/100 — GameSpot
60/100 — GamesRadar+
60/100 — Eurogamer
60/100 — Guardian
34AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:00
Re: #24
PS5 runs it locked at 60, impressive.
26AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:56
I get it if it's GTA-level and can only hit 30fps, but…
why can this game only pull 30fps with graphics like these?
Isn't the hardware just too weak?
28AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:58
Re: #26
GTA6 being 30fps is also because the hardware is underpowered.
33AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:59
Re: #26
Graphics at that level could probably hit around 120fps on an RTX 4070 with frame generation.
27AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:57
Oh, so it's 30fps huh.
Guess we'd better hope for a PS5 port then.
30AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:58
Re: #27
I don't own a PS5.
Wouldn't buy one even if it came out on there.
35AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:00
Re: #27
Zero chance of that happening.
66AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:19
Re: #27
First, how about a straight port of the original Famicom "Shadow Dragon" game (the very first Fire Emblem, 1990).
31AnonymousSep 17, 2026 18:59
Sure it's a simulaiton game, but there's tons of animation in both the story and battle scenes — I want 60fps. 30 is poop-tier.
99AnonymousSep 17, 2026 20:26
Re: #31
*Simulation
36AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:00
For an AAA game like GTA, sure, the load's heavy so it can't be helped.
But the Switch 2 only pulling 30fps at this level of graphics is way too rough.
39AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:02
This one's obviously addressed to Re: #36.
44AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:06
Even though it's a simulaiton game, animation's used heavily in both story and battle scenes, so I definitely want 60fps. 30 is poop-tier.
58AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:13
Re: #44
Exactly that. The cutscenes feel totally fine,
but the battle scenes specifically have such intense animation that it really bugs me.
59AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:13
Re: #44
Regular anime runs at like 24fps, so 30fps is more than enough for that kind of thing.
63AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:16
GTA6 basically created this whole atmosphere of '30fps is good enough.'
78AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:38
Re: #63
For what it's worth, it's still blowing up into controversy overseas over the 30fps thing.
These days you're supposed to get a choice between quality mode and performance mode, but since it's been in development forever, it's probably more of a 'sorry, we haven't even caught up on optimization yet' situation.
65AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:18
Nintendo can't even use DLSS for Zelda, so this can't be helped.
91AnonymousSep 17, 2026 20:07
Re: #65
Ocarina of Time runs at 1080p/60fps,
so there's no need to use DLSS.
76AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:33
Speaking of which, Wolverine's impressive — major outlets gave it a 60, and it's locked at 60fps too.
79AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:38
Re: #76
Lol
Nice line, that's not fair
I wish I'd said that.
85AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:46
Re: #76
This thread was made specifically to try to steer the conversation away from Wolverine somehow lol
Give it a rest lol.
87AnonymousSep 17, 2026 19:53
First time I've heard the wild take that simulation games need a high fps.
92AnonymousSep 17, 2026 20:10
Re: #87
Right?
Though for a driving game like GTA, 30fps is a non-starter.

Background and Key Points of This Debate

The Fire Emblem series was originally a turn-based strategy RPG, and titles with less action-oriented gameplay have historically not prioritized high frame rates. In recent years, however, more Nintendo titles on the same hardware — like The Legend of Zelda — have added 60fps support, which has made fans more critical when comparing games. The “GTA6 is also 30fps” point raised in the thread symbolizes a broader recent mood where 30fps is becoming acceptable even for major blockbuster titles, and it’s frequently cited as a benchmark in frame-rate debates. Meanwhile, the conflicting reports among posters about the frame rate in handheld mode reflect a common pattern in these kinds of online discussions, where claims spread by hearsay rather than hands-on testing — a reminder not to take such claims at face value without checking the actual behavior firsthand. It’s also worth keeping in mind that frame rate depends on genre, graphical load, and how well a developer has optimized the game, so it can’t be judged by visual graphics quality alone.

*This article was compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hardware/Industry, aka “Geha”) thread “Why Is FE Still 30fps These Days??.”

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *