Earlier this year, a next-gen version of Final Fantasy VII Remake was announced during Sony's PS5 State of Play livestream. And now it’s been confirmed as a PS5 console exclusive for its first six months on the market.
This PS5 edition of Final Fantasy VII Remake, which is a refreshed version of the PS4 re-imagining of the 1997 classic JRPG, is launching alongside a new expansion called Intergrade. The expansion will be bundled together with the next-gen port in the aptly titled Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade.
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When Final Fantasy VII Remake was first released on PS4 in April 2020, it was confirmed that the game would be solely on PlayStation for at least one year. So naturally many assumed that the remake would come to PC and Xbox platforms this spring. But it would appear that Sony has managed to top-up its exclusivity deal by a further six months based on a splash screen from the game’s final trailer.
With the PS5 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake, and the Intergrade expansion, due to launch on June 10, this means the title will only be playable on PlayStation hardware until January 2022 at the earliest. By that point, any PC or Xbox player who have patiently waited 18 months while avoiding spoilers deserve some kind of medal.
The next-gen upgrade of Final Fantasy VII Remake has caused a fair amount of confusion and controversy already. In March the PS4 version of the game was given away to all PlayStation Plus subscribers, but it was simultaneously announced that this edition of the game wouldn’t be eligible for a free PS5 upgrade.
Anyone who has purchased the game either digitally or physically on PS4 will get a free upgrade to the PS5 version in June. They won’t, however, have access to the Intergrade expansion, which lets you play as fan-favorite character Yuffie and unlocks a new story chapter. This DLC can be purchased for an additional $20, or comes packaged in the aforementioned $70 bundle that includes both the full Final Fantasy VII Remake game and the Intergrade expansion.
If it all sounds rather confusing, that’s because publisher Square Enix has seriously muddied the waters with so many editions across multiple platforms. The key thing to note is that, for now at least, Final Fantasy VII Remake remains a PlayStation exclusive.
