At today’s Xbox Showcase, Square Enix revealed Final Fantasy 16 is finally available right now on Xbox. Further, Final Fantasy 7 Remake will also make its way to the platform this winter.
The Xbox release of Final Fantasy 16 comes two years after its release on PS5 as a console exclusive, before also arriving on PC last year. Final Fantasy 7 Remake, meanwhile, arrives five years after its original PS4 release, which was followed by its PS5 re-release, PC release, and the release of sequel Rebirth.
It’s all part of Square Enix’s multiplatform strategy it began “aggressively pursuing” last year, in a move to “diversify earnings opportunities”. But are these games arriving on Xbox too late?
Anecdotally, there have certainly been plenty of calls from Xbox players to have these games available on Microsoft’s platform. And a wider release means wider access to games and more sales, so it certainly makes business sense. Their arrival at last has felt like an inevitability for some time – Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida even stated he was keen on an Xbox release.