Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Will Be Available for Download to Ensure Optimal Fidelity and Quality Instead of Releasing on Multiple Discs.
The Final Fantasy VII Remake series has made a significant impact, with both the original and 2023’s Rebirth requiring two discs for installation and gameplay. However, with the upcoming FFVII Revelation, Square Enix is taking a different approach, and not everyone is on board with this change.
The absence of a second disc means that FFVII Revelation on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S will function similarly to a game key card on Switch 2. Essentially, it will act as a DRM key, relying on Sony or Microsoft’s servers for downloading the full game if it’s ever removed from players’ hard drives. This decision has sparked controversy, especially in light of Sony’s announcement to phase out new PlayStation discs by 2028.
Director Naoki Hamaguchi mentioned in July, “We’re still having internal discussions on what the exact SKU product lineup is going to be for Revelation. So I can’t say anything particularly definitive at this point in time. But I am working to make the arrangements to allow us to have some kind of physical edition.” This left fans hopeful for a full disc release, only to be met with confusion when pre-orders revealed the download requirement.
In a more recent interview, Hamaguchi addressed the decision, stating, “Before we arrived at that decision, there were a lot of internal discussions and back and forth amongst myself and other internal staff members in terms of how we should treat or handle the physical editions. This whole disc discussion is a rather sensitive issue, and I don’t think a lot of the media has asked us about this so far. So I would like to discuss how we approached it.”
He elaborated, expressing his satisfaction with releasing a physical disc version of FFVII Revelation, especially as the gaming industry trends toward digital. He acknowledged the concerns raised by fans regarding the need for an internet download with the physical discs and aimed to clarify the situation.
During discussions with the development team, they considered using the same disc size as for FFVII Rebirth. However, Hamaguchi noted that doing so would compromise the game’s fidelity and quality, which the team was unwilling to accept. Thus, the decision was made to release a physical disc that would still require some parts of the game to be downloaded digitally. While he understands that not all players may agree with this choice, he expressed contentment with the outcome and hopes fans can appreciate it as well.
The specifics of the compromises Hamaguchi mentioned remain unclear. Rebirth had a hefty install size of nearly 150GB, and with PS5 discs holding up to 100GB, Revelation would need to be significantly larger to justify a three-disc release. This raises questions about the costs associated with shipping physical editions versus ensuring game quality. It’s also possible that the director was referring to optimizations that wouldn’t be ready in time for the initial batch of game discs.
Regardless, Hamaguchi’s explanation hasn’t quelled the dissatisfaction among critics regarding the digital download requirement. A post he made on social media has been met with backlash from frustrated fans, who pointed out, “PS5 games aren’t limited to a one disc. While each PS5 game disc can hold up to 100GB, multiple-disc releases are supported and have been used for large PS5 games. Therefore, claiming that avoiding multiple discs requires compromising game quality is a lie, not a technical necessity.”
For now, it seems Square Enix is sticking to its decision. With the game set to launch on April 8, the clock is ticking before Sony halts the shipment of new game discs altogether.
