A lot of details have surfaced recently regarding Final Fantasy 16 per interviews with its director and producer, but the latest comes from a surprise PS5 trailer. Sony recently released a video called "PlayStation 5 - Play Like Never Before" that highlights several of its features and games such as God of War Ragnarok and Final Fantasy 16.
Many eagle-eyed fans noticed that the "fine print," so to speak, of Final Fantasy 16's presence reveals an important, new detail regarding its timed exclusivity. Indeed, fans have known Final Fantasy 16 was a timed PS5 exclusive since it was announced, but for how long hasn't previously been revealed. Many figured it would be quite some time, as Final Fantasy 7 Remake was a PlayStation exclusive for a year, and even once that ended, it has only come to PC so far.
Either way, fans should know that Final Fantasy 16's timed exclusivity period will be shorter than FF7R, with the trailer stating that it is exclusive for the first six months of its launch. Of course, this doesn't mean fans should expect Final Fantasy 16 to come to Xbox as soon as this period ends. It's likely to make the jump to PC as soon as it can, but as FF7R is still not available on Xbox, it's highly unlikely that the platform is a high priority for Square (or, perhaps even more likely, it's part of a bigger, ongoing deal between Sony and Square Enix).
This information is certainly helpful for fans, but it should also be noted that the trailer notes that it's "anticipated" for summer 2023. The word choice here is no doubt deliberate; per a recent interview involving Yoshi-P, Final Fantasy 16 could release before summer 2023. He also thinks Square Enix will be able to release a confirmed release date before the end of the year. Other recently revealed details include an upcoming playable demo, new game plus and multiple difficulty options at launch, and more.
Unfortunately, not everything has been good news though. When asked about diversity in the land of Valisthea, many found Yoshi-P's explanation based on "reality" and "fantasy" in the larger world of Valisthea to just be a lackluster excuse. Final Fantasy 16's lack of diversity has stirred controversy since the reveal, especially when the explanation is that it undermines the reality of the setting and its inspiration, while giant Eikons, world-ruling crystals, and chocobos exist in the world.
Final Fantasy 16 releases by summer 2023 for PS5.