By now, everyone who owns an Xbox might be eagerly waiting for the release of FFXIV on the console; however, you’ll need Game Pass to try it first. While Phil Spencer, Yoshi-P, and other Square Enix head honchos did a presentation regarding the MMO joining the green team, the excitement has died down with the recent news. Everyone was hoping for the same subscription and business model that we have on PlayStation right now, but it looks like you’ll need to get a double subscription before venturing into Eorzea.
The Full Version of FFXIV on Xbox Requires Game Pass Core or Ultimate
Presenting details on the upcoming #FFXIV@Xbox Series X|S Open Beta Test!
📆 Wednesday, February 21 at 12:00 a.m. (PST) / 8:00 (GMT) ⚠️ Test only available for new players
According to an official post from the developers, those looking to extend their journey after the Xbox beta of FFXIV will require a Game Pass (Core or Ultimate) subscription. This might not seem like something strange for some, but let me explain why some future Warriors of Light are complaining. In PlayStation, you can jump into the full game as long as you have an active service subscription; you don’t need to be a PS Plus member. However, for whatever reason, Microsoft is asking players to get on Game Pass if they want to try the full version of the game.
The silver lining is that you can try the FFXIV beta on Xbox without a Game Pass subscription, but you’ll only enjoy the same benefits of the free trial, which isn’t too bad as you’ll get the base game, and its two first expansions. Still, it is quite strange to see Microsoft ask for a subscription on top of another subscription when the competition doesn’t have that model.
Many players have voiced their concerns because, as many claim, they’ll be playing on the existing servers that Square Enix has. If Microsoft were to create a Data Center or dedicated servers for the MMO, then yes, a subscription would make sense, but honestly, this seems a bit unnecessary.
Hopefully, the people at Microsoft will change this because it isn’t looking like an attractive deal for players. Also, this is the first time in years that the game finally makes its way to Xbox, but so far, it’s looking like it’ll be a rocky start with few hopes of keeping new adventures around. Still, there are a few months before the full version arrives, so let’s see if things change for the best.
Been gaming since '99! I am a huge JRPG fan and my favorite franchise is Final Fantasy. I love writing about games and I hope I can do it for the rest of my days!
