Could a PC port of Final Fantasy 15 be on the horizon?
Rumor has it that Final Fantasy 15 director Hajime Tabata wishes to bring the great road trip adventure over to the PC sometime in the near future. Although an official announcement remains to be given, I’m sure that I’m not the only one who would enjoy such a port for a chance to experience the journey again.
Here's a brief, completely spoiler-free rundown of Final Fantasy 15 for those who don't already know: the game revolves around Noctis, a prince, taking a drive with his best pals to meet up with his future wife-to-be, Luna. Events happen, as they typically tend to do, that lead Noctis and his pals to take several detours that culminate to the game’s big reveal. Overall, it’s a fun adventure from beginning to end with memorable characters and addicting gameplay.
So what could you expect from a potential PC port?
There are rumors that it could feature slightly altered, or completely new areas to explore. This would provide a new experience even to those who have played through the game on consoles. But time and money are cited as reasons why this might not happen, since new areas would have to be built from scratch. The game already provides a huge area to explore, so there may be technical limitations at play as well.
However, in an interview with Famitsu (translated for Gematsu), Tabata said: “I would like to try developing on PC to pursue a unique way of playing with PC-exclusive features like making your own quests and enjoying the world using things like mods.” Support for mods would bring a unique experience to the game, and it could also potentially provide new areas without spending too much time and resources which could delay the PC release.
What about the specs?
In the same interview with Famitsu, Tabata said: “I’d like to release the game on PC as a technical attempt.” Even though it’s ‘just a technical attempt’ right now, what we’ve been shown so far is beautiful.
Since no official announcement has happened yet, it’s tough to say how different a Final Fantasy 15 PC port could be from the original console versions. Past Final Fantasy ports have been riddled with performance issues and limited resolution upon release. It’s tough to say at the moment whether Final Fantasy 15 would receive the same treatment or not. But considering that Tabata wishes of releasing it on the PC to show off its technical prowess, I foresee greater care being given in this instance than in previous Final Fantasy PC port releases.
This isn’t a far-fetched idea or even an unimaginable scenario. One day we’ll get the wondrous PC port, as it’s a guaranteed money-maker for Square-Enix. But I imagine that we won’t get any sort of announcement, let alone release, until the rest of the DLC is doled out for the consoles.
Again, the PC port is still in the rumor and speculation stage. All we can do right now is play the waiting game while we wait for its inevitable release.
