Final Fantasy 15: No Plans for Switch Version
By Alexander Pan 26 February 2017
Following his recent admission that Final Fantasy 15 is unlikely to make it to the Nintendo Switch, the game’s director, Hajime Tabata, has once again reiterated his stance on the issue.
In a new interview with Polygon, Tabata states that he and rest of the development team are finding the Switch “fascinating” because of its console/handheld design, especially since he’s worked on a number of handheld and console titles over the years. However, the director also says that while he would be interested in coming up with ideas to “capitalize” on the Switch’s technology, he admits that he’s not quite there yet before revealing that he currently doesn’t have any handheld projects in the works, possibly alluding to a Final Fantasy 15 port.
This statement from Tabata may be disappointing to Nintendo Switch owners, but it also isn’t too surprising given the director’s oft-stated goal of doing something more with Final Fantasy 15 using the advanced technology at his disposal, something that the Switch may not be able to provide. Tabata elaborates in the interview that while development team are currently hard at work on the Final Fantasy 15‘s post-launch DLC packs, the director also intends on using the game’s post-launch window as a form of exploratory platform for implementing new technologies, such as a post-launch VR feature.
Given that rumors swirling around that the Switch’s hardware is not on par with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, it certainly appears that porting Final Fantasy 15 over to the Big N’s upcoming console would be going in the opposite direction of what Tabata initially intended from a technological perspective.
While the director spoke about pushing the technological boundary with Final Fantasy 15, it appears that Switch owners won’t be the only ones missing out. When asked about how Microsoft’s Scorpio project will come into play with his vision and whether a PC port is in the works, Tabata says that no firm plans are in place for either for the time being.
While the Switch will still have its share of large, open-world games in its library in the form of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Skyrim, it appears that Final Fantasy 15 will not be joining the list any time soon. But given Tabata’s interest in Nintendo’s upcoming console, perhaps its still too early to rule out that possibility or the possibility of an entirely new Switch game from Square Enix.
Final Fantasy 15 is available now for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
