Final Fantasy 16 PC Version Release Date Update Shared by Producer

The PC iteration of Final Fantasy XVI is now in the final stages of its development, according to those at Square Enix. When the latest mainline Final Fantasy installment launched this past summer, it was known to be a timed exclusive for PlayStation 5 for a period of six moths. Once this exclusivity window came to a close, Final Fantasy XVI would then be free to release for other platforms. While Square Enix itself has yet to announce specific plans for releasing FF XVI elsewhere, it sounds like the PC port should be dropping at some point in 2024. 

In a conversation with Game Informer, Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida opened up about the current progress on the PC iteration. Yoshida said that Square Enix doesn't have an exact release date or window to share for the PC version at the moment, but he did express that its development is in the latter stages. He also went on to mention that a demo for Final Fantasy XVI is something that Square Enix intends to release ahead of time so that players can determine if the game runs well on their own PC setup before potentially purchasing the full title. 

"In terms of where we are in development currently, we're trying to figure out the final stages of optimization right now," Yoshida said. "When we can release the PC version might be dependent on that – the system requirements and specifications for PC that players will need, so we're trying to figure that out. Naturally, [the PC specifications] are looking to be somewhat high. [...] Again, we can't really talk about too much in terms of details of when it's going to come out – I think in a little bit more time we'll be in a better place to announce things. But one thing's for sure: It won't be too distant in the future; it won't be a year, it won't be two years, it will probably be shorter than that, so stay tuned." 

In the near term, Square Enix is gearing up to release new content for Final Fantasy XVI on PS5 in the coming weeks. The game's first piece of DLC, Echoes of the Fallen, was released at the end of 2023 and is set to be followed by The Rising Tide, which is slated to launch in "early 2024." Later this month at PAX East, a new panel for The Rising Tide is set to take place and should likely reveal the release date for FF XVI's next expansion.