The recent reveal of a PS5 version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake along with a next-gen exclusive DLC might be a mixed bag for some players who are still waiting for the second part to release. For one, the fact that the upcoming Yuffie DLC is exclusive to PS5 might be setting a precedent for the rest of the remake as Square Enix begins shifting focus towards developing on the new console.
In the case of players who have already made the transition to PS5, the rest of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake being exclusive to the new system should be a complete positive. However, considering the barrier to entry that comes from both the difficulty some fans continue to face trying to find a storefront that isn’t sold out, as well as the cost of the system itself, not everyone is in the same boat.
The unfortunate result is that some fans, who would absolutely want to buy the next part on release, or even just Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s PS5 update will be locked out since they don’t have the right console. This isn’t even a new issue for Square Enix, or other developers creating new content during either the cross-generation era or mobile platforms. So, while there are tons of benefits that can come from dedicating future games in the series to the most powerful consoles on the market, there is a fairly drastic downside as well.
Keeping games as console exclusives, especially for PS4 and PS5, has become somewhat of a heavy topic to cover in recent years, as more and more titles make the jump over to more broadly available platforms. There’s a lot that can be said about the value of exclusivity deals, especially for smaller developers that are given incentives to go exclusive on specific storefronts, but also for larger studios handling big-money projects. Having an exclusive platform with Sony generally means extra funding that might not have happened if Square Enix had distributed Final Fantasy 7 Remake more widely, which then means that players can get a more polished product in the end.
Of course, the flip side of this is that there shouldn’t be anything legally stopping a developer like Square Enix from expanding that exclusivity deal to the two current consoles that Sony owns. So, with Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 acting as a sequel, or more accurately the continuation of the already incomplete story, there shouldn’t be too much in the way of keeping the releases on the same console. That being said, making the next game in the series a PS5 exclusive means no need for a next-gen update at a later date, and the title can be designed with the new hardware in mind from the ground up.
The simple act of transferring the current Final Fantasy 7 Remake to PS5 is already bringing a host of visual from what was already one of the best looking games of 2020. If that’s the case, then it makes complete sense to start work on the next part in the series with these upgrades in mind and go for the highest quality available right from the start. As players have seen in the difference between games that optimize for next-gen only versus those that try to go for both, jumping into PS5 alone is always going to be the better option.
This expands beyond the ability to reach up to 120 frames per second or run in native 4K, with the PS5 also offering developers the chance to work directly with the DualSense controller and 3D audio features. From a developing standpoint, staying focused on one console and making’s unique features shine is a huge boost for how to craft design strategies. If everything is centered around the best performing hardware, then a developer like Square Enix can get the best performance out of a title with such heavy hardware demands as Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
All of this benefit, however, could come at the cost of the players, especially those who might be excited to see what the new Final Fantasy 7 Remake DLC will bring to the game. It’s a smaller version of how the Kingdom Hearts series alienated its fanbase, by making every new release that had become an important part of the story for a different mobile console. Making this new content PS5 exclusive isn’t quite the same mistake as releasing games across four different systems over the course of seven years, but it will still leave some players behind.
It isn’t necessarily Square Enix’s fault that PS5 scalpers are continuing to make the prospect of getting hands-on with the new console so difficult for the average consumer. However, it is a tough pill to swallow for players that already have the game on PS4, that they’ll have to fight the crowds to play a piece of DLC. So, if this does continue on with the rest of Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s future episodes, there is a good chance that a large group of fans that otherwise would have been excited for Part 2 won’t have any way to access it.
After the initial success of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, players may have expected for the next part to release sooner than it has, or at the very least continue on the same system. It’s unfortunate that the game launched so close to a next-gen release, but ripping off the band aid now might be the best move for the series as a whole. The most recent title has only just left Midgar, which fans of the series know is only a small fraction of the overall experience from the original Final Fantasy 7.
This means that there is way more content to come than what is already available now, even with the new DLC included. So, making the jump to PS5 as quickly as possible might be best for the direction of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 and the continuing series. The result in the long-run would be best if the series moves to next-gen now, even if it does come as a disappointment to a specific group of fans in the short-term.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is set to release on June 10th, for PS5.
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