Final Fantasy 16's PlayStation 5 exclusivity is coming to an end, with a PC version launch imminent.
With rumors swirling that FFXVI would finally get a firm release date at Gamescom 2024 this week, we had an opportunity to talk to Square Enix's Hiroshi Takai to learn a bit more about how the PC port is going.
Final Fantasy XVI (or Final Fantasy 16, for all you lovely search engine bots crawling this article), is arguably the most action-oriented mainline entry in the storied franchise. Spanning decades, Final Fantasy has undergone various permutations and iterations over the years, with the latest proving mildly controversial at least in some regards. Some fans and critics lamented the game's lack of party tactical gameplay the franchise is historically known for, while simultaneously praising the game's spectacular combat highs and boss battles. Our own review is still pending, of course, now that the PC version just received its firm release date.
Final Fantasy XVI has received two DLC packs since launch, dubbed The Rising Tide and Echoes of the Fallen — both of which will drop on PC when Final Fantasy 16 launches on September 17, 2024.
We caught up with game director Hiroshi Takai to ask what players can expect from FFXVI when it hits PC next month, and also get some hints about the possibility of the game hitting Xbox some day too.
What PC port optimizations can Final Fantasy 16 players expect?
One hot topic when it comes to PC ports these days often falls on optimization. Games built for console platforms and then back ported to PC are occasionally known to suffer issues, owing to the vast amount of configurations that exist in the space. To that end, Takai emphasized how much work Square Enix has been doing to smoothen its PC port pipeline. "We've done a lot of work optimizing the game for different CPUs and GPUs, as well as adding a lot of different graphics customization options," Takai explained. "We've also added support for various upscaling technologies, such as NVIDIA DLSS3, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS, and increased the frame rate cap, too."
Takai also revealed that PC users wielding PS5 DualSense controllers will be able to enjoy full-fat haptic feedback, too. However, the game has also been optimized for those who are rocking it old school with a mouse and keyboard, too. "There are plenty of other options I haven't mentioned, so I hope you enjoy playing around with them!"
I mentioned that I was impressed by how well Final Fantasy 7 Remake runs on devices like the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally. FF7R was the first game I downloaded and tried to push the Steam Deck when I first acquired one. Takai warns that FFVII Remake was originally designed for the PS4, whereas FFXVI is a new-gen game designed originally for PS5. Still, the team has tried to optimize it as much as possible for the new wave of PC handhelds. "It was always our aim with the PC version to make it playable for as wide a range as devices as possible, and that includes the Steam Deck."
"One of the reasons why it took such a long time for us to port FFXVI to Windows this time around was the need to optimize performance for a huge range of different combinations of components. It's almost as if there are as many PC setups as there are PC gamers nowadays, and it was a big challenge to get the game running well in each different environment."
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What's the future for Clive and FFXVI?
On the topic of Final Fantasy 16 itself, I wanted to see if Hiroshi Takai could offer a glimpse at what the future might hold. Final Fantasy 16 is getting a "Complete Edition" for PC, which suggests that Rising Tide and Echoes of the Fallen might be the end of Clive's current journey, but it wouldn't be the first Final Fantasy entry to get direct sequels. Clive has proven to be quite popular with fans, after all.
"It's been really encouraging to hear positive feedback from the fans. We're delighted that Clive and his crew have been so well received. We don't have any plans for future FFXVI content that I can tell you about at the moment—right now, we're pouring all our energies into the PC version. After that...who knows!?"
Finally, for long-suffering Square Enix fans on Xbox, I had to slip in the burning question. Will Final Fantasy 16 ever make its way to Xbox? Indeed, just this week, rumors began to percolate once again that Final Fantasy 16 would join Final Fantasy 14 in getting a late Xbox Series X|S launch, although nothing is hard confirmed right now. Takai is at least positive on the idea of FFXVI making its way across, some day.
"We're taking one thing at a time right now, so I can't reveal anything about our future plans. All I can say is, it's something I would personally like to see happen!"
"It was always our aim with the PC version to make it playable for as wide a range as devices as possible, and that includes the Steam Deck."
Square Enix and Microsoft repaired their relationship quite prolifically earlier in the year, when Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer took to the stage for a Final Fantasy 14 fan event to reveal the Xbox version of the popular MMORPG. Notoriously, Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Rebirth, and Final Fantasy 16 are absent from Xbox Series X|S. Although, Visions of Mana is making its way across, marking the first traditional JRPG offering from Square Enix on Xbox in a long time.
In any case, Final Fantasy XVI is sounding like it could be a strong PC port for Square Enix, who are known to be reorganizing to give greater priority to the Windows platform. As more and more gamers experiment with PC gaming whether via devices like the Steam Deck or with custom built gaming rigs, the platform is becoming similarly increasingly important for big game publishers the world over.
Final Fantasy 16 is available to pre-purchase now on Steam and the Epic Game Store ahead of its September 17, 2024 launch. It also has a free demo too, if you fancy testing your rig out first. A huge thank you Takai-san for fielding our questions!
