Even amid underwhelming releases like Forspoken, Square Enix still has some heavy hitters to look forward to, like Final Fantasy 16. It’s releasing for the PS5 this Summer as a six-month limited-time exclusive, as confirmed by producer Naoki Yoshida in an interview with PlayStation Blog Japan (translated by VGC). However, despite rumors of a PC version, it won’t release after the PS5 exclusivity ends.
“First of all, it is true that Final Fantasy 16 is a six-month limited-time exclusive on the PS5 platform. However, it is a completely different story that the PC version will be released in half a year. I will make it clear, but the PC version will not come out after half a year. This is because we spent a lot of time and money optimizing the PS5 platform to deliver the best gaming experience.”
However, Yoshida is interested releasing the game for PC. “Of course, I would like to release a PC version at some point so that everyone can play as many games as possible. However, even if we start optimizing the PC version after the PS5 version comes out, we won’t be able to optimize it in half a year, so it won’t come out in a short span of half a year. I would like to release it eventually, and I think I will, but I am not at the stage where I can say when.
“First of all, I would be happy if you could play the PS5 version, which I made with the thought of being the best game in the world. If the PC version comes out in half a year, I can quit the company (laughs). Please don’t say, ‘I won’t buy the PS5 version because the PC version will be released in half a year’.”
Final Fantasy 16 launches on June 22nd for PS5 worldwide, and Yoshida is confident it will hit that date (unless a meteor suddenly hits Square Enix HQ in Japan). New gameplay footage provided a better look at the real-time combat, namely how Clive fights with companions and in Eikon battles. Timely Support Accessories will also be available for auto-dodging, easy combos, and more for those having trouble with combat.
Though the recent gameplay footage was in 4K, Yoshida confirmed a Frame Rate mode for the final game, prioritizing a higher frame rate over the resolution. It also has over 11 hours of cinematics in the main scenario alone. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.