By “We have been extremely proud of what we managed to accomplish.”
Earlier this month, it was announced that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade will debut on Xbox Series X and S on January 22nd, 2026, with pre-orders presently available on the Xbox Store (including the original FF7 as a pre-order incentive!).
In anticipation of its launch, Windows Central has been conversing with Final Fantasy 7 Remake director Naoki Hamaguchi about various subjects, including his insights on collaborating with the lower-spec Xbox Series S in comparison to Series X and PS5.
In his statement, Hamaguchi commended the Series S’s “sturdy” hardware, mentioning that most of its development hurdles have been “memory related” – a point we’ve heard echoed by other developers before.
“Regarding hardware specifications, I would assert that the Xbox Series S is genuinely quite sturdy in terms of capability. We didn’t encounter significant processing challenges; however, many of the obstacles were largely memory related.
Optimization was an aspect we were highly aware of while working on the PC version as well. For Final Fantasy 7 Remake, we adapted certain principles found in Nanite for Unreal Engine 5 and developed our own solution for Unreal Engine 4. We succeeded in providing stable graphics there and achieving Steam Deck certification too. We have been quite proud of what we were able to accomplish, even on lower-spec systems.”
Furthermore, Hamaguchi emphasized that Square Enix is pursuing a multi-platform strategy for releases these days, indicating a deliberate effort to transition more of the company’s titles to Xbox.
He also shared with Windows Central that he is “absolutely an Xbox enthusiast” and intends to “do my utmost to ensure that Square Enix can continue to engage a broader audience, including Xbox.”
Naturally, it’s not only Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade that we can look forward to, as both Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and the third installment of the trilogy have also been verified for Xbox. Don’t forget about next week’s launch of Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles either, as that title has been receiving outstanding reviews already!
What are your thoughts on Hamaguchi’s comments here? Share with us below.
[source windowscentral.com]
Fraser is the News Editor at Pure Xbox, where he dedicates his time to covering the most significant stories in the realm of Xbox and beyond.