Final Fantasy Is Forcing PC Players To Buy PlayStations?
Final Fantasy XVI will be coming out as a PlayStation exclusive, as producer Naoki Yoshida jokingly stated, "buy a PS5."
PC gaming fans of Final Fantasy XVI might have to purchase a PlayStation 5 console just to enjoy the game, as its director hinted that the game might release as an exclusive. This is an interesting turn of events, considering Sony’s plans to deliver more than 30 percent of its games to the PC gaming platform—a number that might go even higher, considering the massive success of its first-party PC ports. Perhaps the company is trying to boost the sales of its gaming hardware now that the semiconductor shortage is coming to an end.
As reported by Kotaku, producer Naoki Yoshida, the same one that criticized gamers over toxic behavior, has now stated that the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI likely won’t get a PC version. Instead, the iconic producer is suggesting players go out and buy a PlayStation 5 instead—an action akin to a true feat of strength, considering the absence of the PS5 console from the market and their recent price boost. Interestingly, Square Enix confirmed that the game would arrive on the PC when it announced the game two years prior to Naoki Yoshida’s recent statement.
The reasons for Final Fantasy XVI’s omittance from the PC platform are quite peculiar, considering that several entries in the iconic JRPG franchise have made their way to the PC in recent years. This includes the previously mentioned Final Fantasy VII Remake, as well as the Final Fantasy XVI predecessor—the latter was actually a multiplatform release. It’s even more peculiar considering Sony’s recent push into the gaming market, but according to Yoshida, the announcement information was wrong.
Final Fantasy has been traditionally associated with PlayStation, and most of its titles were initially released exclusively on PlayStation hardware. This has seen some change in recent years, with Sony’s desire to enter the gaming market and compete with Xbox on the latter’s domestic turf. That said, the relationship between PlayStation and Square Enix has always been nearly exclusive, and it rested on will-established co-marketing foundations, especially in the Japanese market.
As for Final Fantasy XVI, nobody actually knows what’s at play here, except for maybe those involved with the franchise. PlayStation started releasing its well-established exclusives nearly two years ago, and titles like God of War and Uncharted finally made their way to the PC, so it became perfectly natural for PC gamers to expect the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI for their favorite platform. However, both aforementioned titles are developed by PlayStation’s first-party studios, and Square Enix, despite its great relationship with PS, is an independent developer and publisher.
As many have noticed, the initial trailers for Final Fantasy XVI featured a disclaimer that the game won’t be available on other platforms for a limited time after its release on the PlayStation 5. It’s worth pointing out that the same trailers also disclaimed that the showcased content is captured on PC, emulating the PS5 experience, but most games are actually developed using PC-based tools and then tested using the console dev-kits provided by console manufacturers, such as PlayStation.
Final Fantasy XVI is scheduled to launch in 2023 for PlayStation 5 console.
