Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida, popularly known as Yoshi-P, reveals that a Solid State Drive might be essential for playing the PC version of the game. This revelation came in a recent interview with Famitsu, which focuses on the newly announced DLC for the game, where he also talked about other things, like what’s next for Creative Business Unit III.
The system requirements, though not explicitly detailed in the interview, highlight the importance of loading speeds. According to Yoshida, while the development team will try to optimize the game, users can’t overlook the constraints posed by limited hardware. The reason is in the nature of the game, which was initially developed for the PlayStation 5, a console equipped with an M.2 SSD. This integration ensures minimal loading times, a feature the team appears keen to replicate on PCs.
The move towards SSDs as a standard requirement for major game releases has gained momentum in recent years, with more developers recognizing the performance benefits they offer over traditional mechanical hard drives. The use of an SSD as the primary drive is increasingly seen as a fundamental aspect of PC setup, especially for gaming. HDDs are now primarily relegated to serving as mass storage devices for media.
True to this, the PC port of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart required an SSD, and so did Starfield for PCs. When you consider that both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X use SSDs, it’s only natural for games ported over to desktops to have a similar requirements as well.
As for the release details of FF16 on PC, they remain under wraps. Yoshida promises Square Enix will share more info in due time. However, this hasn’t stopped players from speculating about the potential timing of the PC version’s launch. Following the release of the first DLC, Echoes of the Fallen, The Rising Tide arrives next spring. It’s possible that the PC port’s release date announcement might happen then.
If we’re following Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s timeline, the PC release might happen before 2024 ends, possibly around this time next year. Unfortunately, due to Square Enix’s recent history with its PC ports, FF16 might initially be exclusive to Epic Games Store before arriving on Steam some time later.
Then again, the Yoshida-led Creative Business III has a solid track record of Steam releases, which, so far, includes Final Fantasy 14 and Dragon Quest Builders, so there’s hope that FF16 will be available on multiple digital storefronts once it arrives on PC.
It appears that Square Enix was serious when it said that it will double down on its biggest franchises going forward. A new entry in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth arrives in February on PlayStation 5, which may or may not make changes one of gaming’s most iconic deaths. In addition to this, there are rumors that multiple remakes are in development, including Final Fantasy 9, Final Fantasy Tactics, and, quite possibly, Final Fantasy X as well as Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI.
