Final Fantasy 16 Dev Gives Update on PC Version

11.03.2024 - 18:20 / gamerant.com / Naoki Yoshida / Square Enix / Takeo Kujiraoka / James Ratcliff

Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida gave fans waiting for the game's PC port some good news, as he stated in an interview that the port is in the «final optimization stages» of development. Yoshida also stated that the PC version of Final Fantasy 16 may release a demo before launch, but did not disclose exact dates for the demo or the game.

The news came as Square Enix and Creative Business Unit 3 prepared to launch The Rising Tide, Final Fantasy 16's second expansion. Though the expansion does not have a precise release date at the time of writing, The Rising Tide is slated to launch in the spring. Like theEchoes of the Fallen DLC, The Rising Tide will take place just before the final battle of Final Fantasy 16 and explore the origins of Leviathan the Lost, the watery Eikon that was notably absent from the base game. Though a fight between Ifrit and Leviathan was teased with the reveal of The Rising Tide, only time will tell how events will play out.

In the meantime, Final Fantasy fans looking forward to playing the franchise's sixteenth entry on PC will not have too much longer to wait. According to an interview with Game Informer, Yoshida said that the PC port of Final Fantasy 16 is in the final stages of optimization and that the required specifications could be quite high. In December 2023, Yoshida confirmed that one of the requirements to play Final Fantasy 16 on PC would be a solid-state drive (SSD), but did not state any further specifications that PC players would need to play the game.

In addition, Yoshida said that the release of Final Fantasy 16 on PC «won't be too distant in the future; it won't be in a year, it won't be two years, it will probably be shorter than that.» But, Yoshida also asked fans to wait a little longer to hear when Final Fantasy 16's PC port will officially arrive. Plus, Yoshida will be joined by Localization Director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox and DLC Director Takeo Kujiraoka at PAX East to discuss The Rising Tide. The panel will also be streamed on Twitch and YouTube on Friday, March 22, at 11:30 AM Eastern. Whether the PC port will be brought up alongside The Rising Tide remains to be seen.

Between The Rising Tide and the highly-anticipated Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, Yoshida and the Final Fantasy franchise still have more to offer fans in 2024. Only time will tell when The Rising Tide DLC and the PC port of Final Fantasy 16 will officially arrive.

Final Fantasy 16 is an action RPG developed by Square Enix. Set in the land of Valisthea, six different factions are on the brink of war due to a spreading disease known as the Blight. Much of the plot revolves around summoned monsters called Eikons, who are controlled by unique humans called Dominants.