Is Final Fantasy 16 coming to the Nintendo Switch now that the Xbox port is all but confirmed following Naoki Yoshida’s latest comments about the success of Final Fantasy 14‘s Xbox release?
Although Final Fantasy has traditionally been associated with PlayStation since the late 90s, Square Enix’s displeasure with the launch sales figures of the latest pair of mainline entries and remakes, FF16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, has forced it to reconsider this long-standing partnership.
While a PC version of FF16 is finally coming out on September 17—a free demo is available, and it seems like it’s scheduled for a PlayStation Plus Premium release soon—there’s no information as of yet about its availability on other platforms, especially the second-best-selling video game platform of all time.
Making FF16 run on the Switch is a near-impossible task. We’ve seen developers compromise in the past to put graphically intensive games on the Switch, but not to the extent of FF16, a current-gen title with hefty requirements even on the PC.
So, why is there chatter about FF16 coming to the Nintendo Switch?
It all boils down to Yoshi-P’s comments at this year’s Gamescom. In an interview with Gamereactor, the gaming site asked Yoshida about any future plans to expand the availability of Final Fantasy 14. He replied that the goal is to release it on as many consoles as possible. He added that Square Enix is currently working hard to bring the popular MMORPG to Nintendo’s consoles.
After its release in 2010 and subsequent “rebirth” years later, FF14 has lived through at least three console generations. Originally a PS3 exclusive, FF14 was later released on the PC and, eventually, the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X. It has never been released on a Nintendo platform, which would make its incoming Switch port a first.
But why are we talking about Final Fantasy 16 here? It’s simple—precedence.
Square Enix has used FF14 to gauge interest in the franchise on a platform before ultimately releasing more games for it. This happened first with FF14, and now it’s happening again with FF16. It’s only logical to assume that FF16 is next.
The bigger question is whether Yoshi-P and the rest of Creative Business Unit 3 can pull this off, and the answer, again, is precedence.
Making a functional Switch port of FF16 isn’t impossible. It’s technically been done before. Both Guardians of the Galaxy and Hitman 3 have Cloud Versions available on the Switch.
Putting FF16 on the Switch is huge, as the hybrid platform continues to sell well all over the world, especially in Japan. Its numbers, like those of the Xbox Series X, will go up now that Sony has made the PS5 more expensive. Besides, if FF16 doesn’t come to the Switch, it becomes more likely that it will at least be available on the next Nintendo console.
Of course, this is all speculation, based exclusively on Yoshi-P’s possibly intentionally vague statements to drum up interest in the future of the Final Fantasy franchise.
If FF16 is indeed coming to the Nintendo Switch, this would all but confirm that Final Fantasy 17 is coming to Xbox and Nintendo platforms. The better question is, would PlayStation still get timed exclusivity, or will FF17 beat the record set by Final Fantasy 15 as the fastest-selling video game in the franchise, with 5 million units sold within its first five days on the market?
