Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy XIV will be launching on Xbox Series X|S via an open beta starting February 21. However, Xbox players will need to purchase subscriptions to both Final Fantasy XIV and Game Pass to play the full game.
According to the blog, the open beta test period will allow Xbox users to try out the free trial version without a Game Pass membership. However, once the beta closes and FFXIV is fully released on Microsoft"s console, any player wishing to continue their adventures in Eorzea will need both an active Game Pass plan and a subscription to Final Fantasy XIV.
The Free Trial version, including the open beta test, will not require an Xbox Game Pass (Core or Ultimate) plan to play. However, the full Xbox Series X|S version will require an Xbox Game Pass (Core or Ultimate) plan to play.
For the US, a standard FFXIV subscription costs around $12.99 per month. Meanwhile, Xbox Game Pass Core membership is $9.99 per month. This means Xbox players will end up paying a minimum of at least $23 per month to play Final Fantasy XIV, compared to PlayStation and PC users who only need to purchase the game"s own subscription.
Subscribe periods for both services can be purchased for three months or yearly for discounted rates, but the monthly combined cost will still be higher for Xbox versus other platforms.
Square Enix also stated that players who have already registered for the free trial or paid subscription of FFXIV on another platform will not be able to participate in the Xbox open beta test.
To play on Xbox, you will need to link your Microsoft account and Square Enix account. You will not be able to unlink the accounts once linked. We ask that existing players please wait until the official release to link your Square Enix account to your Microsoft account.
The Final Fantasy XIV open beta test is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, February 21, at around 8:00 GMT / 19:00 AEDT. The company did not provide a timeline for how long the open beta will last.