At the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in Berlin last weekend, Square Enix announced that the Switch 2 version of the game would be coming out on August 4, with preorders now available. There will also be a free test period for the first month, so if you want to try out the new version before dropping any money on it, you can do so.
Final Fantasy XIV on Switch 2 costs $23.95 for the Starter Edition (includes the base game and all expansions except the most recent two, Endwalker and Dawntrail), $62.26 for the Complete Edition with a 30% launch window discount ($88.95 normally), or $122.46 for the Complete Collector’s Edition (normally $174.95). There’s also a separate subscription fee for the Switch 2 version, unlike the other platforms where a single sub covers all platforms you have a license for, but existing players can get the Switch 2 sub on top of their regular one at a 50% discount.
If you want to try out the Switch 2 version before paying any of that, you can. New players can access the same free trial that exists for other platforms, letting you play through to level 80 and the end of the Shadowbringers expansion without time limits (but some restrictions on social features). For existing players, Square Enix is running a month-long test period at launch, during which time you’ll be able to play on Switch 2 without buying the Switch 2 version—effectively an open beta of sorts, but starting at the same time as the official launch.
Square Enix had mentioned this test period when they first announced the Switch 2 version earlier in the year, but it wasn’t clear at that time when this would take place or how it would work. Last weekend’s release date announcement briefly mentioned the free test period, but without going into detail about how it works or how it fits in with the official release of the paid version. We’ve now got confirmation from Square Enix that they’ll coexist: you can buy the Switch 2 version right out the gate if you really want to (or even preorder it), but existing players can also just download the Switch 2 version without buying a license and play it during that first month at no extra cost. (And new players, as always, have the option of a very extensive free trial version.)
One thing to note is the download size and storage requirement: at 117 GB, Final Fantasy XIV is the biggest game on Switch 2 by a large margin. But if you want to be able to lie on the couch or in bed and play on a handheld, Switch 2 is looking like a good option. We’ll see how well this version runs when it lands next week.
