Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida has revealed that the game originally had a PlayStation 4 version alongside its PlayStation 5 one.
PlayStation’s Shuhei Yoshida conducted an interview with Yoshida on The AIAS Game Maker’s Notebook YouTube channel about Final Fantasy XVI’s development. Yoshida said, “Originally, we were expecting to have a multi-platform release on PlayStation 4 as well. And to some extent, the assets were pushing the PlayStation 4 to its absolute limits.”
He continued, “But in the end, the Final Fantasy series has a certain level of graphical fidelity expected of it, and when we tried to eliminate basically all loading on the PS4 version, there were certain parts where we were having to reduce the quality to a point lower than [Final Fantasy] XV.”
The development team wanted to craft the best story experience possible, so having no loading times was a priority. Yoshida suggested that the PS4 version be dropped and Square Enix approved. He also said that without the PS5’s hardware capabilities, the development team would still be trying to figure out how the game would get finished.
Final Fantasy XVI is currently a console exclusive for PlayStation 5, but a PC version is in development. Its first DLC, Echoes of the Fallen, was released last month. The second DLC, The Rising Tide, is scheduled to come out sometime this year.
In GameSpot’s Final Fantasy XVI review, we said, “FFXVI is a bold shift in both gameplay and narrative, yet captures the Final Fantasy magic in stunning fashion, earning a place within the pantheon of incredible entries in the beloved franchise.”
