Something that has gotten somewhat lost with Final Fantasy 7 Remake is that it was never a full exclusive for PlayStation. It was perhaps in fairness to the original Final Fantasy 7 being one of the PS1's biggest games, that the remake would have had as long of a run on PS4 and PS5 as it did. Square Enix has jumped around platforms for over 30 years now, spending its earliest days with Nintendo, before riding with PlayStation for a bit, and now most recently, has really started expanding its library practically everywhere. With Final Fantasy 7 Remake coming to PC very soon, then, the flood gates are about to open of just where the series can be found.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake's PlayStation exclusivity was extended with the release of the game's InterMISSION DLC this past May. Controversially, the DLC was only available for those who were playing on PS5, in turn alienating a portion of the playerbase who played the game on PS4 originally. This point is raised to clarify Square Enix's deliberate actions in withholding the game from certain audiences, while making it available for others. It is with these ideas in mind that Final Fantasy 7 Remake has the potential to open not just PC players but even those on Xbox to the magical game, and perhaps its future installments as well.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake on PC Sets a New Franchise Precedent
Another major Square Enix property recently underwent a similar process of platform expansion in recent years. Kingdom Hearts, like Final Fantasy, had appeared on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles in the past, but the largest of games were often reserved for PlayStation, with the spin-offs being relegated to Nintendo. Square Enix released Kingdom Hearts 3 on PS4 and Xbox One originally, but earlier this year it took the franchise that one step further, bringing the entire Kingdom Hearts franchise to PC through the Epic Game Store, and eventually on Nintendo Switch.
Now, although the next Kingdom Hearts installment is unknown, there is now an expectation placed on the franchise going forward that mainline games should come to all relevant platforms like previous entries. By coming to PC through the Epic Games Store (like Kingdom Hearts no less), there is no reason for Final Fantasy 7 Remake's future installments to not also be available here as well. Furthermore, if the game is being made available on PC, then surely it can also run on the Xbox family of consoles. The original Final Fantasy 7 is available on PC and Xbox for some time, so it isn't like there's no audience for the games on non-PlayStation platforms.
Obviously, Square Enix is allowed to arrange whatever exclusivity deals it desires with its game. Unless something has changed since its last showing, the upcoming Final Fantasy 16 is set to be a timed console exclusive on PS5, in the same vein as Final Fantasy 7 Remake did on the PS4. Final Fantasy 7 Remake on PC shows what Square Enix's release formula going forward will likely be, and it might be time for fans to stop expecting otherwise. Square Enix will honor an exclusivity deal (that will usually be PlayStation), release the game for other platforms when its done, and repeat until the next game is ready.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available on PS4, PS5, and releases for PC on December 16.