As PS5 shortages continue, Final Fantasy 14 developer commits to PS4 support

Naoki Yoshida has committed to supporting Final Fantasy 14 on PS4 into Patch 7.0.

Following the recent Letter from the Producer, in which Yoshida confirmed a graphical update was in the works, he's been interviewed by the Japanese press - as translated by Twitter user Aitai Kimochi.

Speaking to 4gamer, Yoshida was asked how long he saw PS4 support lasting.

"To be frank, I'm actually not sure how far we will go with PS4 compatibility," he said. "From a development point of view, the less hardware we have the easier it is to work with, so hardware that can't operate properly will just not be supported. On the other hand, our goal is to make sure that players can enjoy the game solo as well."

Yoshi-P also talks about how long he foresees having FFXIV be compatible with the PS4. He says due to the shortage of PS5 consoles around the world, they will do their best to stick to their word and make sure #FFXIV is compatible with the PS4 to ensure a smooth user experience. pic.twitter.com/uj9tQv8BrJ

Final Fantasy 14 is now available on PS5. However, the global shortage of semiconductors is impacting console production and sales across the world, which is why Yoshida believes maintaining PS4 compatibility "would be ideal".

"We will try to optimise the game through the various 6.X patches to offer an even smoother user experience," he said.

Patch 6.1 is due for release in April, following the release of the latest full expansion Endwalker in December last year.

Patch 7.0 will mark the release of the next full expansion and is expected in about two years from now. Yoshida confirmed it won't be developed with top PC specs in mind.

"No, it's not our aim to consider the top of the line PC graphic quality, nor are we thinking about PC specs that will change in the future," he said. "We just want to make sure that the graphic update works smoothly, regardless if you are using a high-spec PC or not."

As for the story content of Patch 7.0, Yoshida said the main theme would be "adventure".

Gamer Japan + 4Gamer websites have new interviews with Yoshi-P about the future of FFXIV with Patch 6.1 and going into 7.0 and beyond.

Yoshi-P says the key word is "adventure," and he already has the concept of the 7.0 trailer in mind. Here's a translation of an excerpt. #FFXIV pic.twitter.com/3L5hfiPM5n

"A key word for the story concept would be 'adventure'," he told Gamer Japan. "We have thus far earned the titles of 'Hero' or 'Warrior of Light', and I would like to delve further into the various mysteries that await our sole Adventurer."

If you're yet to try out Final Fantasy 14, good news! The free trial will return from 22nd February.

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