Xbox and PC players may get a chance to play Final Fantasy VII Remake after its exclusivity deal with PlayStation ends this week. FF7 Remake is the reimagining of the classic RPG Final Fantasy VII, released in 1997 by Square Enix. The game is the first part of the Final Fantasy VII story, which Square is dividing into multiple games. It is currently unknown if new chapters will be added or exactly how many games are planned, but FF7 Remake Part 2 is currently in development.
During the most recent State of Play, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade was announced alongside a DLC for the remake. The DLC features Yuffie, an optional playable character in the original game, and will comprise two chapters. The DLC will only be available on PS5 as it is designed to run on the next-gen hardware. Intergrade and its DLC serve as the transition between FF7 Remake and Part 2.
A tweet by independent games industry analyst Square Enix is free to port the game to any platform and announce plans to do so at any point after the deal ends. FF7 Remake’s addition to PS Plus in March did not extend the deal, according to the , who claims there is no evidence suggesting as such.
FF7 Remake’s exclusivity with PlayStation is reminiscent of Square Enix’s exclusive deal with Sony in the past. In the series, entries from Final Fantasy 9 to Final Fantasy 12 were exclusive to PlayStation before Square Enix began porting remastered versions of the older games to other platforms. Every entry since Final Fantasy XIII has been multiplatform. However, Intergrade, as of this writing, is exclusive to PS5. It is unclear if the same exclusivity deal is in play for the alternate version. [Update 09/04/21: This paragraph has been adjusted to more accurately reflect which Final Fantasy games were PlayStation exclusive.]
Of course, there are many potential issues that arise from the game coming to other platforms. If only the base game makes it to other consoles, fans of the franchise could be bereft of the Yuffie DLC, as well as the next-gen benefits that come with Intergrade. People who get into the FF7 Remake series through another console might also be denied access to Part 2, especially if they're one of the many people who are unable to get the PS5 due to stock issues. That being said, expanding the audience for Final Fantasy 7 Remake is still a sound business decision, and one Square Enix could very well take later this week.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is available on PS4 and PS5.
Source: Benji-Sales
