Final Fantasy 16's long-awaited PC release date is set for September 17, and the director behind the game reckons it's "possible" and "probably even likely" that future entries in the series will launch on PC day 1.
Speaking to 12DOVE, Hiroshi Takai reflects on the decision to launch Final Fantasy 16's PC version out of step from the PS5 version and whether that's something we'll see going forward.
Asked if future Final Fantasy games may see a day-one release, Takai says "I think it's possible – probably even likely," before adding, "That said, the team in charge of each project gets to decide its own policy, so this is just my personal opinion."
While Takai's thoughts are his, they align with what Square Enix has said throughout various financial briefings throughout the year. At the company's financial results for the last fiscal year, the developer spoke of a "shift from quantity to quality" as it "aggressively pursues a multiplatform strategy."
Given that Final Fantasy 16's gap between PS5 and PC releases extends beyond a year, I ask Takai if the team worries about PC gamers' waning interest or if the devs bank on an excellent port being worth the wait. For Takai, the time spent was just right.
"Naturally, we wanted to get the PC version into players' hands as quickly as we possibly could," he says. "We don't get anything out of delaying its release either. That said, I don't think there's much more we could have done to speed up the porting process. Looking at the results, I think the time we've put into optimizing the game for PC was time well spent."
Given some of Square Enix's recent history with PC ports, Takai will likely be proven right if Final Fantasy 16 sticks the landing. Final Fantasy 15's own PC port won praise, though Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade and Forspoken got off to bumpy starts. Asked if the mixed recent history was on the brain, Takai says Square Enix "always listens to player feedback and bears it in mind."
"Since we want as many players as possible to enjoy our game, we made sure to address any points that could be perceived negatively," he says. "Of course, it's not just feedback from FF16 players that we listen to, but from other games, too."
Final Fantasy 16 comes to PC on September 17, both slices of DLC included. And, oh my! There's a demo you can play on Steam now.
