As the fifth anniversary ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeapproaches, the first birthday ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthdraws near, and the third and final part of the trilogy looms in the distance,it’s time forFF7to give up on console exclusivity. The originalFF7marked a turning point for the series by giving it a new home: whereFF1through6were all exclusive to Nintendo consoles,FF7brought the series to Sony as a PlayStation exclusive.
It would remain that way for some time. While Nintendo’s handhelds would continue getting ports of theFinal Fantasygames its home consoles originated, every successive new mainlineFFgame was a PlayStation exclusive, until the MMOFF11broke the mold by going multi-platform. But in more recent days,the series has returned to its console exclusivity roots, a practice which needs to stop.
FF7 Remake & Rebirth Were PS Timed Exclusives
Final Fantasy Has Returned To PlayStation Exclusivity
Three of the most recentFinal Fantasygames have returned to pseudo-exclusivity like a bad habit.FF7 Remake,Rebirth, andFF16were all “timed PlayStationexclusives,” which meanseach of them was released on PlayStation consoles first, thenwere ported to PCa year or so later. It makes sense, as PlayStation andFinal Fantasyhave always had a close relationship, and Square Enix likely still has some kind of exclusivity deal with Sony. It’s a little nicer than total exclusivity. PC players get to enjoy these gameseventually, they just have to wait a little longer.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Finally Sold Me On RPGs Without Customizable Characters
For a long time, I stayed away from RPGs that didn’t let me customize my character, but Final Fantasy VII Rebirth finally showed me the appeal.
But at the end of the day, it’s a half-measure. Asking players on other platforms to be patient is one thing, butFinal Fantasyis still needlessly exclusive by leaving out Xbox players entirely. That’s something that should change with the third part of theFF7 Remaketrilogy.
Why FF7 Remake Part 3 Should Launch On Xbox Too
FF7 Has A Place On All Consoles
Ultimately,there’s no good reason why theFF7 Remaketrilogy can’t come to Xbox, and plenty of good reasons why it can. The Xbox Series X and S are both perfectly capable of runningRemakeandRebirth. There’s definitely an audience forFF7on Xbox, so porting it wouldn’t be a waste of money. WhileFFfans in general are likely to skew towards PlayStation loyalty simply because of the products' shared history, there’s been no shortage of praise and buzz around theFF7 Remaketrilogy, and that has to count for something.
Plus,multiple otherFinal Fantasygames are already available on Xbox, so why notFF7?Final Fantasy 15launched for PS4 and Xbox One on the same day. TheXbox version ofFinal Fantasy XIVwas a smash hit, downright revitalizing the game with a massive influx of new players. All the classicFFgames are available on Xbox in various forms, too: thePixel Remastersof1-6, the original port ofFF13, and even straight-up ports of the PS1 games,FF7. Look at it that way, and the PS5/PC exclusives likeFF7 Remakeare really the odd ones out.
In a truly chaotic move, evenStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originis available on Xbox consoles.
Besides, recentFinal Fantasygames have consistently fallen short of internal profit targets, according toSquare Enix’s own financial reports. Butthere’s a surefire way to increase sales, and it’s as simple as putting an end to console exclusivity. Sure, it may mean more development costs, but look how wellthe PC port ofFF7 Rebirthhas already done since its PC release: in its opening weekend, it skyrocketed to the top of Steam’s charts. Imagine the result if part three was released on all three major platforms simultaneously.
FF7 On More Consoles Just Makes Sense
Exclusivity Is On Its Way Out
Square Enix says part three of theFF7 Remaketrilogy will be out by 2027, so here’s a pitch. Spend the interim portingRemake,Rebirth, and maybe evenCrisis Coreto Xbox Series X/S for good measure so that players on those consoles can catch up. Then, when part three finally comes out,release it on Xbox alongside the PlayStation version(or at least alongside the PC version a year later). If the Switch 2 can run them, put it on there, too. It’ll be good for sales, and it’ll put an end to a tradition of exclusivity that seems to be doing theFinal Fantasyseries more harm than good.
I’d Love FF7 Rebirth DLC, But One Other Final Fantasy Game Needs It Way More
DLC could be a nice addition to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but there’s another game that remains incomplete without some significant expansions.
The fact of the matter is thatconsole exclusivity, as a whole, is on the decline. Microsoft has more or less let it go, starting to explore the possibility of releasing them on PlayStation. It’s not totally dead yet, as evidenced in part by recentFinal Fantasyreleases, but perhaps it should be. Exclusivity no longer sells consoles; in this day and age, most console hardware is more or less identical, at least in terms of specs. The only things separating them, really, are their proprietary controllers and players' brand loyalty.
So all things considered, exclusivity is a silly thing forFinal Fantasyto continue upholding. It represents leagues of Xbox players' money left on the table, and a frankly unnecessary bit of gatekeeping. For all these reasons and more, here’s hoping forFinal Fantasy 7 Remakepart three on Xbox consoles, whether it’s this generation or the next.
