Final Fantasy XVI won’t be on PC six months after its release

Final Fantasy XVI (FF16) producer Naoki Yoshida, also known as Yoshi-P, has confirmed that the title will not be available on PC immediately after its PlayStation 5 (PS5) exclusivity ends.

The details:

• In a Japanese PlayStation blog post dated February 28 (translation provided by Twitter user @Wario64), Yoshida decided to clear up rumors surrounding the PC version of the game, with many fans expecting the game to be available on the platform after its exclusivity ends on the PS5. The producer stated that the release of the PC version in half a year is a "completely different story," and that the game "will not come out in half a year" on the platform.
• FF16 will be exclusive to the PS5 for six months after its initial release, which means it will not be available on other platforms until the deal expires in early 2024. Many fans assumed that a port would be completed during that time, with the game released immediately on PC. Yoshida went on to say that Square Enix had spent "a lot of time and money optimizing the PS5 platform to deliver the best gaming experience," and that optimizing the PC port in the "short span of half a year" would be impossible.
• Yoshida also encouraged fans to play the game on PS5 if they were interested in the title, stating that he worked on it to make it "the best game in the world." The game will be available in standard, deluxe, and physical-only collector's editions on June 22, 2023.

What do we know about FF16 so far?

• Yoshida, known for his work as the director and producer of Final Fantasy XIV beginning with the A Realm Reborn relaunch of the title after version 1.0 was deemed a failure by critics and players, has led the game's development.
• With a dark fantasy setting, the title is intended to please both old and new fans of the franchise by returning to classic series tropes while introducing a full real-time combat system designed by Devil May Cry 5's Ryota Suzuki. Journalists were allowed to play a brief demo, with the complex combat being the standout feature.
• The story is set in Valisthea, a world divided into six nations that maintain power through crystals and dominants, who are humans with the ability to harness the powers of the most powerful creatures known as Eikons. Clive, the game's protagonist, witnesses the destruction of his kingdom of Rosaria by the Eikon Ifrit amid rising tensions between the nations, prompting him to seek revenge on Ifrit.