Playing Final Fantasy XIV On Xbox Sounds Like A Pain In The Ass

Despite being out for over a decade, the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV has yet to come to Xbox consoles. But that is changing in a matter of days, with the official launch of the Xbox Series X|S version set for Thursday, March 21. Fans have been waiting a long time, but now that the moment is almost here, it seems like the Xbox version is going to be a pain in the ass to play. That’s thanks to a series of announcements from Square Enix about exclusive features and play requirements, the latest being a new currency called FFXIV Coins.

The new currency was revealed in a blog post on The Lodestone, the official site for FF14 news, patch notes, and more. The post in question, from March 18, is mostly focused on revealing the Xbox releases on March 21. But further down is a section simply labeled FFXIV Coins. These are a new currency for the game that is only for those playing on Xbox and are going to be the only payment method for FF14-related charges.

That means all service fees will take FFXIV Coins, from the cost of the game’s subscription (the recurring charge needed to play the game in the first place) to the purchase of any in-game items. The currency is available in the Microsoft Store and will be credited to a user’s Square Enix account upon logging into the game on Xbox. Square Enix hasn’t revealed the exchange rate of real money to FFXIV Coins as of yet. The use of these coins only applies to the in-game Mog Station (the site for managing your FF14 account), so you can still use regular payment methods by accessing Mog Station on a computer. So, you can avoid buying FFXIV Coins, but you have to add the step of going to a computer or mobile phone to make your purchases. Pick your poison.

This is just the latest quirk that Xbox players will have to contend with. Earlier this year, when Square Enix announced a beta for the Xbox version,it was revealed that in addition to the game’s regular subscription, players would need a Game Pass subscription to play FF14 on Xbox. That hasn’t gone over too well considering the PlayStation and PC versions only require you to have a game subscription to enjoy FF14, so Xbox players have to pay more to play. If you do have a Game Pass Ultimate subscription, however, you can download the Online Starter Edition of FF14 for free until April 19, which is the free trial version of the game that lets you play through the Stormblood expansion.