Square Enix had originally considered releasing Final Fantasy XVI on the PS4 during early development, around the time the very first trailer was revealed. However, due to concerns over hardware limitations, these plans were abandoned and the game did not end up becoming a cross-gen release.
Speaking during an interview with Famitsu, Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida said that while a PS4 version was considered early on in development, the PS4’s limitations had him concerned that the studio would be unable to improve the game’s quality on PS5 and end up wasting development time.
Yoshida further stated that he wanted the reveal trailer to accurately represent the quality of the final game experience. Games in the past have been shown off using high quality pre-rendered footage during early development, only for the final gameplay footage to end up lacking the graphical quality of their respective reveal trailers. This is something Yoshida wanted to avoid, and, therefore, focused on a trailer showcasing footage that he was comfortable in delivering to fans in the final product.
Yoshi-P said that the studio could have prepared a trailer using pre-rendered footage for the game’s reveal, but it would have been a waste of development man-hours, and he did not want to go down that road. It is therefore likely that his vision for the game could only have been realized on more modern hardware, namely the PS5.
Final Fantasy XVI is an action role-playing game set in the fantasy world of Valisthea, where the people live in peace and prosperity thanks to mountains of crystal called the Mothercrystals. The Grand Duchy of Rosaria, the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, the Kingdom of Waloed, the Dhalmekian Republic, the Iron Kingdom, and the Crystalline Dominion are the six factions that rule the planet. The Eikons, summoned creatures that humans known as Dominants control or manifest through, play a crucial role in the story.
Clive Rosfield, Joshua Rosfield, and Jill Warrick make up the main cast. The Archduke of Rosaria’s eldest child, Clive, sets off on a quest for vengeance following terrible events involving the evil Eikon Ifrit. The Dominant of the Eikon Phoenix and Rosaria’s presumptive successor is Joshua Rosfield, Clive’s younger brother. Clive and Joshua’s foster sister and confidante is Jill Warrick, a former princess from the defeated Northern Territories. Gameplay features Clive battling using a combination of melee-based sword strikes and magical skills.
