Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster’s PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions have had their release dates confirmed by developer and publisher Square Enix. The title is a collection of the six first mainline Final Fantasy games, remastered for modern platforms and audiences. The games come with a series of optimizations, in of visuals, gameplay, audio, and more. This allows players to customize their experience with these classic titles in a more personal way, avoiding unnecessary grinding, for instance, or, perhaps, enhancing the challenge presented.
The remastered versions of Final Fantasy 1 - 6 are already available on PC (via Steam) and on mobile Android and iOS devices. On PC, the titles can be bought as a bundle or purchased individually, while mobile platforms only offer the possibility of acquiring each title individually. The Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters for PS4 and Nintendo Switch will arrive soon and will be sold both individually and as a complete bundle with six games.
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster’s Release Date For PS4 & Switch
Players looking forward to experiencing these titles once again or for the very first time will not have to wait long. As announced by Square Enix on Final Fantasy’s official YouTube channel, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster PS4 and Nintendo Switch versions will be launched together, on April 19. The titles become available on that date, at 8 am PDT / 11 am EDT. The Nintendo Switch version of the games and the bundle are already up for pre-orders, while the PS4 version will become available for purchase on a later, undisclosed, date.
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster’s Price For PS4 & Switch
As mentioned previously, the Nintendo Switch versions of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games are already available for purchase on the official Nintendo eShop. The bundle, which contains the remastered versions of the first six Final Fantasy games, is priced at $74.99. Each game of the bundle can be purchased individually, at the price of $17.99. As a bonus for players who buy the games by May 25, 2023, Square Enix will be giving them two themed wallpapers for each individual game. If players buy the complete bundle, they will get all 12 themed wallpapers.
While the PlayStation 4 version of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games will only become available for purchase at a later date, it is possible to speculate on their prices. Product prices on the eShop and PS Store do not differ too much. The base version of Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion, for instance, costs $49.99 on both marketplaces. As such, the remaster bundle should cost something around $75. The individual games should also be priced around $20. These prices may vary slightly. Players who buy the games between April 20 and May 25 this year will get a theme and an avatar for each title.
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster’s Changes On PS4 & Switch
As mentioned before, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster’s PS4 and Nintendo Switch versions feature many changes for modern platforms. The most notable is the rework of the classic 2D pixel graphics, adapted for HD displays. Additionally, all the soundtracks from the six games were rearranged and modernized by Nobuo Uematsu, the original composer of the titles – players can choose to listen to the updated tracks or the classic ones and change between them quite easily. Aside from this, however, there are also several gameplay functions that were brought up to speed for modern audiences.
The experience in Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster’s PS4 and Nintendo Switch versions is very customizable. Players can turn off random encounters throughout the six games’ various maps. Of course, they are given the option to toggle it off and on, so that they can explore and level up at their own convenience. Players can also increase or reduce the amount of Exp, Gil, and Ability Points gained while playing, either to ease their experience through the games or intensify the challenges they face and how much grinding they need to adequately progress. There are also auto-battle options that permit more focus on the story rather than the turn-based combat.
Luckily, the changes in Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster’s PS4 and Nintendo Switch versions also included a feature that was highly requested by the community when the original versions for PC, iOS, and Android were first released: pixel fonts. The remastered Final Fantasy games were launched with an updated and modernized font – this was met with some backlash by players, such as DaveOshrey on Twitter, who wanted a more classic feeling seeing that the new font did not quite match the games’ pixel art. Now, they will be able to switch between this font and a new pixel-based one, designed to meet classic players' expectations.
According to Square Enix’s announcement post on the company’s official website, there are more gameplay features that players can toggle on and off in Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster’s PS4 and Nintendo Switch versions. One of them is the bestiary function, which allows players to the creatures they encounter throughout the game. This comes with an additional game mode, according to the game’s FAQ page on Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster’s official website, in which the beasts are added over the world map, showing where they spawn.
This is a prime opportunity for players who have not experienced the classic titles that are the foundation for what Final Fantasy is today to play through them, in an updated way that better fits modern demands in of both visuals and gameplay itself. The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster PS4 and Nintendo Switch versions expand the six games’ reach to a wider audience and, for the first time, are playable on consoles. Through the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5’s connectivity, these games should even be playable on PS5 through retrocompatibility. There are, however, no additional features or optimizations for the current-gen Sony console.
What is still lacking, nevertheless, is the Xbox version of these remasters. While the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster PS4 and Nintendo Switch versions are great for reaching more players, there is still an entire player base that has yet to be acknowledged by Square Enix. Most recent Final Fantasy entries are already present on Xbox consoles, so the community has had with the franchise. It only makes sense that, eventually, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster bundle reaches Xbox consoles, despite the lack of official confirmation.
Source: Final Fantasy/YouTube, Nintendo eShop, DaveOshrey/Twitter, Square Enix, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster/FAQ
