Final Fantasy XIV Director Says There’s No Need for PlayStation 6 or Xbox Next From a Gamer’s Perspective
From the viewpoint of gamers, there’s no pressing need for a PlayStation 6 or the next Xbox system, according to Naoki Yoshida, director of Final Fantasy XIV.
In a new interview with Feed4Gamer, Yoshida (better known as Yoshi-P) spoke about the future of gaming hardware and whether Final Fantasy XIV might eventually arrive on upcoming consoles. He explained that while there is always a possibility of porting the MMORPG to new systems — since his goal has always been to make the game accessible to as many players as possible — the high specifications of today’s platforms already make development much easier compared to past generations. From a developer’s perspective, more powerful hardware is always welcome. But from a gamer’s perspective, he doesn’t see an immediate need for new systems like the PlayStation 6 or a next-generation Xbox.
source: feed4gamers
Yoshida pointed out that most players are currently satisfied with the performance of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and that the rising cost of new hardware is another factor that dampens demand for brand-new systems.
The director also discussed PlayStation 4 support for Final Fantasy XIV. He confirmed that Square Enix will continue supporting the older platform for as long as possible, but admitted that its OS and hardware limitations are already creating issues. Other games, like Genshin Impact, have begun dropping PlayStation 4 support entirely due to those restrictions. Sony has raised certain data limits on the PS4 at the request of Yoshida’s team, but the company has already indicated that it is approaching the system’s maximum capabilities, which suggests that the end of support for the PS4 version of Final Fantasy XIV may be inevitable in the not-so-distant future.
While Yoshida may not see the urgent need for new consoles, there’s no denying that the next generation of hardware is shaping up to be one of the most interesting shifts in decades. Reports suggest that Sony is preparing a PS6 console with up to 10 times the ray tracing performance of the PlayStation 5, along with a new handheld device capable of running current-gen games natively. On the other hand, Microsoft is said to be heading toward a modular design philosophy, offering a more PC-like upgrade path that provides flexibility for players and positions Xbox hardware closer to the pre-built gaming PC market.
This divergence in strategies between Sony and Microsoft could define the direction of the industry for years to come, even if gamers themselves feel little urgency for the next big hardware leap.
Do you agree with Yoshida’s view that there’s no real need for new consoles right now, or are you already looking forward to the PlayStation 6 and next-gen Xbox?
