The Final Fantasy series is making a significant pivot, designating the PC as its "lead platform" for the development of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. Director Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed this strategic shift, emphasizing that 3D assets are now created at the highest quality level, with the PC as the foundation. This approach ensures that visuals are optimized for high-end PC environments before any necessary reductions for less powerful platforms.
This change reflects the rapid growth of the international PC gaming market. While PC gaming's expansion in Japan is more gradual, the global demand has prompted Square Enix to develop assets with the broad PC market in mind. Players have already noted graphical enhancements in recent PC releases, a philosophy that will continue with the trilogy's third installment.
Past entries in the franchise have seen PC versions released significantly after their console debuts. For instance, the first Final Fantasy VII Remake arrived on PC 19 months after its PlayStation 4 launch, and Rebirth followed its PS5 release by 11 months. Similarly, Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy XV also experienced lengthy delays before their PC versions became available.