Naoki Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy 16, has hinted a Switch 2 version of the game could be on the way.
During a livestream update for MMORPG Final Fantasy 14 on Friday, the development team shared release details for the newly available Xbox version of Final Fantasy 16.
Yoshida then commented: “Just Nintendo left” (shared on ResetEra). The game’s creative director Kazutoyo Maehiro then replied he “will do his best”.
Of course, this could just be a passing joke, but it certainly appears to be hinting Square Enix is considering a Switch 2 version of the latest in the mainline series.
Not only would this follow the Xbox version, but it would follow the Final Fantasy 7 Remake games also coming to Switch 2 – all as part of Square Enix’s multiplatform strategy.
Two questions remain, though: would Final Fantasy 16 run on Switch 2? And would it sell?
As Digital Foundry reported, the Xbox Series X/S version of Final Fantasy 16 has issues with a softer resolution implemented in order to secure a stable frame rate. It’s unclear how the lower powered Switch 2 would be able to handle the game, especially in handheld mode.
It’s also been reported Final Fantasy 16 has not sold well on Xbox Series X/S so far, although Square Enix is yet to officially comment.
As such, while Square Enix’s multiplatform strategy will certainly open up its games to more sales, perhaps there just isn’t enough interest in Final Fantasy 16 specifically at this point, two years after its initial PS5 release. Maybe sales would have been stronger with a multiplatform launch, though of course this still would not have factored in Switch 2.
Still, third-party games are reportedly not selling well on Switch 2 as Nintendo’s own games – in this instance Mario Kart World – are dominating the system. We’ll have to see how Final Fantasy 7 Remake sells on the system later this year to gauge how Final Fantasy 16 may fare.
