It’s 2024 and after nearly six years of PlayStation—and then PC—exclusivity, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is finally bound for Xbox Series X|S and Cloud this winter. Joined by Final Fantasy XVI, arriving June 9 on Xbox, these two flagship RPGs underline a strategy that many Xbox fans have long criticized as tardy and tone-deaf. Yet there’s more to this story than just “too little, too late.” With no firm Xbox launch date and zero Game Pass support at release, Square Enix is reminding us that platform politics remain a high-stakes game in the blockbuster era.
Key Details: Publisher: Square Enix | Release Dates: FF7 Remake Intergrade – Winter 2024; FF16 – June 9, 2024 (Xbox) | Genres: RPG, Action RPG | Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud (previously PS4/PS5 and PC)
When Final Fantasy VII Remake debuted on PS4 in April 2020, with an exclusive PS5 Intergrade upgrade following in mid-2021, Xbox owners could only look on. PC players eventually got their turn earlier this year, but Xbox remained frozen out. Final Fantasy XVI repeated the pattern: a June 2023 PS5 launch, a subsequent PC release, and now—nearly 12 months later—a belated Xbox arrival.
“Our partnerships with Sony have given us development support that streamlines certain production pipelines,” a Square Enix spokesperson told us. “At the same time, we’re committed to expanding our audience, and that includes Xbox players.” Still, for many this rings hollow when the company consistently prioritizes one console over another.
Perhaps the most stinging omission is that neither title will appear on Xbox Game Pass day one—despite Microsoft’s showcase promising big-name drops. It’s a stark contrast: during last year’s Xbox Showcase, Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment went live on Game Pass immediately, garnering buzz and player goodwill. With Final Fantasy VII Remake and XVI, Square Enix insists on premium pricing out of the gate.
“Game Pass is reshaping industry economics,” says industry analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities. “But legacy publishers with strong single-player franchises often hesitate to dilute initial revenues. They’ll watch post-launch subscription trends before committing.” In other words, Square Enix may be playing it safe—sacrificing short-term excitement for predictable full-price sales.
This uneven rollout points squarely at historic exclusivity deals and strategic bets. From the early days of Kingdom Hearts to timed PS4 and PS5 windows for Final Fantasy, Square Enix has long relied on Sony’s marketing heft. According to veteran producer Yoshinori Kitase in a recent interview, exclusivity agreements helped secure development funding and promotional support.
Yet the Xbox ecosystem has grown substantially since 2020. Microsoft reports over 25 million Xbox Series consoles sold worldwide, and Xbox Cloud gaming reaches hundreds of thousands more. By sidelining that audience, Square Enix risks alienating a passionate RPG community—especially as subscription services and cross-platform play become table stakes.
That said, Xbox players finally get their hands on two of the decade’s most acclaimed JRPGs. For those who skipped the PS4 and PS5 launches, there’s still excitement in discovering Midgar’s reimagined streets or exploring the high-fantasy horrors of Valisthea. When asked about potential Xbox optimizations, the Square Enix spokesperson hinted at performance patches and Cloud enhancements closer to release.
Competitive comparison also matters. PC gamers already enjoy mod support for FF7 Remake, while PS5 players have access to exclusive shaders and multiple performance modes. Xbox owners will want to know if they’re getting the same visual fidelity and frame-rate options—or if they’re receiving a compromised port.
It’s tempting to view Square Enix’s strategy as callous toward Xbox fans, but there are mitigating factors. Development resources are finite, and simultaneous multi-platform launches often stretch teams thin. In a statement, Square Enix pointed to “ongoing efforts to optimize game engines for each platform” and pledged to “evaluate Game Pass opportunities post-launch.”
Financially, big-budget studios still depend on robust day-one sales. According to market researcher Matt Kim of NPD Group, “Premium exclusives generate front-loaded revenue that bolsters sequel funding and offsets marketing costs. Subscription revenue, while growing, rarely matches initial retail margins.” That dynamic partly explains why Square Enix is pacing its multi-platform rollout.
Will this tardy Xbox premiere signal a change or simply a one-off concession? If the sales data and subscriber figures disappoint for Square Enix on Xbox, we could see future AAA JRPGs return to timed PlayStation exclusivity. On the other hand, strong performance might persuade the publisher to embrace parity—leading to synchronized global launches and potentially day-one Game Pass inclusion.
For Xbox-only RPG fans, the question is: Are you glad to finally have these titles, even if they arrive as “late content,” or do these half-measures reinforce a divide that may never fully close? As the dust settles, one thing is clear: in 2024, platform politics still matter. And until Square Enix treats Xbox as more than an afterthought, each new announcement will come wrapped in caveats.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade lands on Xbox this winter and Final Fantasy XVI on June 9—both after lengthy PlayStation and PC exclusivity and without day-one Game Pass. It’s a boon for Xbox RPG fans, but the slow, premium-only rollout underlines Square Enix’s ongoing platform priorities and the enduring influence of console partnerships.
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