Final Fantasy 16 director talks about struggles behind PC port and features players can expect
In a recent interview with Windows Central, Final Fantasy XVI director Hiroshi Takai talked about the game’s upcoming PC port. Set to be released on September 17, 2024, Final Fantasy XVI is supposed to be optimized for different CPUs and GPUs, and have multiple graphics optimization options. The game will also support upscaling technologies like NVIDIA DLSS3 and AMD FSR for older hardware as well.
To put things into perspective, Final Fantasy XVI first launched as a PlayStation 5 exclusive on June 20, 2023. This has given Square Enix 15 months to work on the PC port of the game. Takai states that the development team used this time to make the game playable on as many systems as possible; including 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.”
In addition to the aforementioned graphics options, Final Fantasy XVI will include the option to adjust the frame rate and enable DualSense haptic feedback for players who invested in Sony’s fancy PlayStation 5 controller. Takai ensures that those who want to stick with vanilla mouse and keyboard controls can play Final Fantasy XVI this way as well.
Square Enix games don’t have the best track record when it comes to PC ports. NieR: Automata, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, and even Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition are a few examples that have their fair share of issues like stuttering, frame rate drops, and limited PC graphical options. Even the demo for Final Fantasy XVI currently stands with “Mixed” reviews on Steam, with players having varied experiences based on their hardware.
Hopefully, Square Enix does a good job with Clive and company’s journey on PC. As a general rule of thumb though, please try the free PC demo and see how your experience fares before buying the full game.
