Summary
Microsoft may be in preliminary discussions to bringFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketo Xbox, an established industry insider has said. This claim arrives mere months after a well-known leakerlabeled aFinal Fantasy 7 RemakeXbox port as unlikely, at least in the foreseeable future.
The first installment in the planned trilogy ofFinal Fantasy 7remakes was originally released as a timed PS4 exclusive in April 2020. An enhanced version of the game, calledFinal Fantasy 7 Remake Integrade, launched on the PS5 in June 2021 before making its way to PC six months later. Square Enix has yet to give any indication that an Xbox port of the game is on the cards, despite the fact that its exclusivity deal with Sony ended years ago.
Be that as it may, Microsoft may currently be in talks to finally bring the game to the Xbox Series X/S, according to Windows Central’s Jez Corden. “I’ve got evidence tentatively that there are discussions aboutFinal Fantasy 7 [Remake]for Xbox,” Corden said during the latest episode ofThe Xbox Two Podcast. His insight dovetails withPhil Spencer’s recent comments on the possibility of aFF7 RemakeXbox portthat saw the Microsoft Gaming CEO reveal he’s often in Tokyo discussing potential new releases with Square Enix.
But even if these purported talks were to amount to anything, Corden believes that a near-future announcement of theFinal Fantasy 7 RemakeXbox port is unlikely, as such a move would “take the shine offRebirth.” For clarity,FF7 Rebirth—the second installment in the planned remake trilogy—launches February 29 as Square Enix’s biggest game of the year, budget- and expectations-wise. Much like its predecessor, the upcoming JRPG will be a timed PlayStation exclusive.
Maybe Sony and Square Enix both wouldn’t want to take the shine off [FF7] Rebirth right now by announcing FF7 Remake for Xbox, but I do think it’ll happen.
Nevertheless, Xbox fans eager to play someFinal Fantasywon’t be without options in the near future. That’s primarily because theFinal Fantasy 14Xbox Series X/S open beta is on the horizon, with Square Enix planning to launch it on or around February 21.
As for the possibility ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remakefinally making its way to Microsoft’s consoles, stranger things have happened. Ultimately, evenSquare Enix itself wants to bring more of its games to Xbox, having said as much as late as summer 2023, shortly after announcing thatFF14is finally coming to Microsoft’s current-generation consoles. But even assuming moreFinal Fantasygames are on their way to Xbox, that’s not to sayFF7 Remakewill be leading that batch. After all, theFF16exclusivity period just ran out in late December, making that game another potential porting candidate for Square Enix.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
WHERE TO PLAY
FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE expands upon and reimagines the spectacular world of the original PlayStation® game. It covers up through the escape from Midgar and is the first game in the FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE project. INTERGRADE is a bundle that includes both REMAKE and FF7R EPISODE INTERmission (the new story content featuring Yuffie). In her episode, play as the spirited ninja after she arrives in Midgar. There, she and another Wutaian operative are to rendezvous with Avalanche HQ, infiltrate the Shinra Building, and steal the conglomerate’s most powerful materia.
