While I truly adored Final Fantasy 16 on PS5, the PC reception to the demo has been mixed. Between issues with PC performance and the overall story and pacing (I promise you this part gets much better), the impending FF16 launch might still need some screws tightening. The good news is that Square Enix is aware of this, making some sweeping changes to the demo of Clive’s adventure. Not only does this bode well for how the RPG runs at launch, but also suggests that the PC demo will stick around, just like the one on PlayStation.
If you’ve not played the Final Fantasy 16 PC demo yet, now’s the time. Not only does your progress transfer to the full game when the Final Fantasy 16 PC release date rolls around, but Square Enix has just revamped the experience. The improvements apply to both the Steam and Epic Games Store versions of the RPG, so it doesn’t matter where you’re playing.
Square Enix starts with improvements to AI upscaling across the board as DLSS, FSR, and XeSS are changed. Blurring and pixelation issues should be resolved in your sessions going forward. Square Enix adds that it’s aware of certain PC environments causing stuttering, and says the team is “investigating the issue” right now.
There are plenty more fixes for the Final Fantasy 16 PC demo as well, which you can read below.
- Dynamic Resolution being locked on the lowest setting
- Enemies not appearing properly in certain battle content
- Graphics not displaying properly on certain stages
- Graphical tearing in certain instances when using borderless screen mode
- SFX not playing properly under certain conditions
- UI not displaying properly under certain conditions
- Screen resolution changing under certain conditions
- Rare instances of GPU crashes
You can check out the Final Fantasy 16 demo for yourself right here, but just make sure you have over 170 GB free (yes, really) for the full launch. I’m sure Square Enix will update the demo over time again as well.
While FF16 continues Square Enix’s move away from turn-based gameplay towards action RPG combat for the series, the latest entry is one you need to try. I’m not the biggest fan of high fantasy and Game of Thrones-style political dramas, but it still managed to hook me. The core story of Clive, his family, and what that means for Valisthea is gripping, and worth seeing through to the end.
If you’re on the fence about FF16, make sure you check out our breakdown of the Final Fantasy 16 PC system requirements. Otherwise, we’ve put together all the best fantasy games instead.
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