Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 Might Not Be A PS5 Exclusive

PlayStation exclusivity has been hurting several franchises and has been a concern for several AAA publishers. This issue first arose when ShiftUp couldn't release Steller Blade on PC on day one. According to one of their officials, the studio didn't meet the expected sales due to platform constraints. Final Fantasy fans pointed out the same fact since Square Enix, too, was struggling with its sales growth. Fans are already concerned that Square Enix may face difficulties in 2025 due to the absence of major new titles.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is definitely a huge franchise on the PlayStation 5, and the game is launching on Steam on January 23. Not to mention, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth won NoobFeed's Game of the Year 2024 recognition due to its amazing overall performance. However, the first and second entries were limited to the platform at launch. Yanari Kitase, the creator of the remake series, mentioned at The Game Awards 2024 about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth sales and system exclusivity. While sales of the second edition in the series are considered respectable despite the game failing to achieve profit estimates after launch, Kitase stated that it has become evident that current games cannot be limited to a single platform and must be available to as many gamers as possible.

In addition, in an interview with the Japanese publisher as part of their end-of-year developer roundup, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi emphasized that the team will continue to take on the challenge of bringing the series to as many fans as possible by 2025. Most Final Fantasy fans believe that Square Enix needs to bring their games everywhere in order to make the most revenue possible. I, too, believe that as they begin adding platforms, their sales projections will rise.

However, sometimes, it seems like Square Enix's sales projections are a little higher than they should be. It's unclear whether any of their games have ever achieved a sales milestone that has made them happy. When Final Fantasy XVI first came out, they said it did well but then said it didn't live up to their expectations. They appear to be unaware that Final Fantasy's brand power is no longer as strong as it once was. There's a lot of competition these days, and Final Fantasy won't shift the needle until they produce something spectacular.

So now the question comes: Is the Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 getting published on every platform? When Squire Enix talks about putting their games everywhere, I don't think Xbox is the main focus. They're most likely targeting PC and Switch 2 day-and-date releases as their primary sales drivers. Nintendo has a vast user base, and with the Switch 2 expected to be released this year, it might make a significant difference if their titles are available there.

Day-and-date PC releases will also have an impact, but I don't believe PlayStation exclusivity is hurting Final Fantasy. The series has altered so dramatically with each new arrival that players' expectations are unclear. If you buy Dragon Quest, you know it's a turn-based RPG. If you buy Persona, you know what style and gameplay to expect. But in Final Fantasy, everything—from the art style to the fighting systems—can change radically between games.

Sometimes, those adjustments appeal to one group while alienating another. I believe this method causes more harm than good. The series has put too much emphasis on appealing to everyone rather than catering to its core following. I know many individuals who quit playing Final Fantasy after the PS2 period despite being major fans beforehand. These alterations have a significant impact on the franchise.

Square Enix's sales targets sometimes appear enormous and unattainable. They often say a game didn't meet expectations, except for NieR, which was a huge success given its budget and sales of roughly 7-8 million copies, while the Nier sequel might be released soon. So if Square Enix is to meet their sales expectations with Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3, the game has to make a day-one launch on all the major platforms, and we hope Square Enix finds a way to accomplish their sales target, whatever it may be.