2023 is already shaping up to be quite the year for video game releases, and Final Fantasy 16 is probably one of the most anticipated launches of the entire year. Announced back in 2020, Final Fantasy 16 is the next big mainline entry in the long-running RPG franchise. Based on the trailers released so far, it's shaping up to be one of the most impressive entries in franchise history, with plenty of complex characters, a compelling central plot about warring factions, and combat that builds upon the best elements of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 15. But there's one elephant-sized problem surrounding Final Fantasy 16, and that's its PlayStation exclusivity.
From the moment it was first announced, Square Enix has told fans that Final Fantasy 16 will be exclusive to PlayStation 5 at launch, albeit for a limited time. That exclusive time period, however, wasn't openly revealed until about a month ago, when an official ad for Final Fantasy 16 claimed that the game would be exclusive to PS5 for 6 months. Square Enix has since confirmed this, meaning that fans with a PC or Xbox will need to wait 6 months before they can play Final Fantasy 16, which could be detrimental to the game's success.
Final Fantasy 16's PlayStation Exclusivity Could Lose Fans
At the recent Game Awards, Final Fantasy 16 was finally given a release date of June 22 2023. This means that, at the very minimum, fans will have to wait until December 22 2023 before they can play Final Fantasy 16 on PC or Xbox consoles. While console exclusivity is nothing new in the gaming industry, with first-party titles almost always staying exclusive for a good few years, it doesn't usually happen with big-name third-party titles, as they stand to make a lot more money by reaching the largest audience possible.
Six months may not sound like a long time, especially when fans have been waiting since 2016 for another mainline Final Fantasy entry and have waited decades for a Final Fantasy 7 remake, but in the gaming sphere, six months is a lifetime. Gamers are currently living in an age where a movie, game, or TV show gets spoiled before it's even out due to leaks. If fans are lucky enough to avoid spoilers before the piece of media is out, then they better consume that media as fast as possible, as spoilers will start hitting the internet within just a few hours of release. After about a week or two, it's open season, and spoilers are everywhere.
For long-time fans of the Final Fantasy franchise that can't justify getting a PlayStation 5, it's going to be practically impossible to avoid spoilers for a week, let alone six months. While Final Fantasy 16 is sure to have a lot more to it than just its story, the narrative always plays a major role in the experience, and having it spoiled could make the game lose its luster a little.
Fans are also living in an age where pre-release hype is absolutely everything for the entertainment industry. To sell tickets to movies, or lock in pre-orders for games, companies need to get their audience excited for their product long before they release, and building hype through trailers is a surefire way to do that. While this is certainly working for Final Fantasy 16, with fans raving over every trailer that gets released, part of the fan-base is excluded from the equation for six months. Those without a PS5 simply aren't going to be as excited for Final Fantasy 16 due to its exclusivity, and when the game finally releases in six months' time, everything that's shiny and new just won't hit as hard, likely leading to some disappointment.
Final Fantasy 16 will be released on June 22, 2023 for PS5.
