Anonymous edits have been disabled on the wiki. If you want to contribute please login or create an account.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Dev general icon.svg
Although this product has been released, it remains under active development - information may change frequently and could be outdated or irrelevant.

This page is for the actively supported 2013 re-release. For the original 2010 release, see Final Fantasy XIV Online (2010).

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn cover
Developers
Square Enix Creative Business Unit III
macOS (OS X) TransGaming Inc.
Publishers
Square Enix
Release dates
Windows August 27, 2013
macOS (OS X) (Cider) June 23, 2015
macOS (OS X) November 29, 2019
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase, Expansion pack, Subscription
Microtransactions Cosmetic, Unlock, Boost, Free-to-grind, Infinite spend
Modes Multiplayer
Pacing Persistent, Real-time
Perspectives Third-person
Controls Direct control
Genres MMORPG
Art styles Anime
Themes Fantasy
Series Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn guide on StrategyWiki
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn on MobyGames
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn on Wikipedia
Final Fantasy VII 1998
Final Fantasy VIII 2000
Final Fantasy XI 2003
Final Fantasy XIV Online 2010
Final Fantasy VII (2012) 2012
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn 2013
Final Fantasy VIII (2013) 2013
Final Fantasy III (3D Remake) 2014
Final Fantasy IV (3D Remake) 2014
Final Fantasy XIII 2014
Final Fantasy XIII-2 2014
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years 2015
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD‎ 2015
Final Fantasy V 2015
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII 2015
Final Fantasy VI 2015
Final Fantasy IX 2016
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster 2016
Mobius Final Fantasy 2017
World of Final Fantasy 2017
SaGa (series)
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age 2018
Mana (series)
Final Fantasy XV 2018
Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition 2018
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT 2019
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered 2019
Final Fantasy VII Windows Edition 2020
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster (series)
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade 2021
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin 2022
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion 2022
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis 2023
Final Fantasy XVI TBA

Warnings

This game requires a constant internet connection for all game modes.

Final Fantasy XIV Online, initially titled Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn at launch, is a multiplayer MMORPG game developed by Square Enix Creative Business Unit III and published by Square Enix. It is part of the Final Fantasy series.

The game is both a remake and a sequel to the original game of the same name, chronologically takes place five years after the end of the original game. The PC version of the 2013 game is capable of cross-platform play with the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S version.[1]. The game initially had cross-platform play with the PlayStation 3 version, but was removed following that version' shutdown on June 16, 2017 with the start of the Stormblood early access.

It was released on Windows on August 27, 2013. An MacOS version, ported by TransGaming Inc., was released on June 23, 2015.

New content updates are released every 4 months, though most additional content may require the latest expansion to play.

General information

FINAL FANTASY XIV: The Lodestone
Patch Notes archive
Technical Support forum
Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Always online (requires a constant internet connection to play)
Global server
Install the client and use Mog Station for CD key and account management.[2]
The retail OS X version only comes bundled with Heavensward.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Developer website
Always online (requires a constant internet connection to play)
Global server
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Developer website
Always online (requires a constant internet connection to play)
Korean server
Windows
Developer website
Always online (requires a constant internet connection to play)
Chinese server
Windows
Amazon.com
Always online (requires a constant internet connection to play)
Global server
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Green Man Gaming
Always online (requires a constant internet connection to play)
Global server
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Humble Store
Always online (requires a constant internet connection to play)
Global server
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Steam
Icon overlay.png
Always online (requires a constant internet connection to play)
Global server
As of Mar 2022, requires the Steam client and a linked Steam account to launch.
Expansions will have to be purchased on Steam to activate properly on a Steam-enabled FFXIV account.
Windows
The North American version requires a North American Square Enix Account.
The European version requires a European & other Regions Square Enix Account.
The Japanese version requires a Japanese Square Enix Account.
With the exceptions of the countries that are served by the regional versions, the Global version on Steam is not available in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippine, Thailand and Vietnam.
All versions require a constant internet connection for all game modes.

Free Trial

The Final Fantasy XIV Free Trial is available to new players as a free, restricted version of FFXIV with no time limit.

Free trial members are limited to 1 character per world (server), up to a maximum of 8 characters total.
Characters can only carry up to 300,000 gil each, and are restricted from using the Market Board, retainers, and some social features.
Characters created in the free trial can play the base game and both the Heavensward and Stormblood expansion, including all classes and content added as part of that expansion.

Benchmark

A standalone benchmark is available for Windows.

Includes a feature-complete character creator. Characters can be saved and freely imported into the full game.

Monetization

Type Notes
Subscription A monthly subscription is required to play beyond the limitations of the Free Trial.

DLC and expansion packs

Name Notes
Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Grants access to the Heavensward expansion.
Included with the Starter Edition.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood Grants access to the Stormblood expansion.
Included with the Starter Edition.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Grants access to the Shadowbringers expansions
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Grants access to the Endwalker expansion and all previous expansions.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Scheduled to release in 2024.
Windows
macOS (OS X)

Microtransactions

Type Notes
Boost Players can purchase class boosts up to level 80. In order to access the latest content, players must complete all story content previously released. Players can additionally purchase a book that instantly completes these quests up to the starting point for the latest expansion.
Cosmetic Players can purchase a number of items that are exclusive to microtransactions. This includes outfits, mounts, minions, emotes, chocobo bardings, orchestrion rolls, and premium variations of Eternal Bond ceremonies. Rare dyes and seasonal items from previous events are also available. Dyes can be obtained infinitely or, purchased from other players with in-game currency. Seasonal Items are obtained for free during the event associated with them and then can be purchased with microtransactions later on, usually after a year has passed.
Infinite spend The Online Store is frequently updated with new content. The majority of microtransactions can be purchased repeatedly without any practical limit.
Unlock Unlocks include redoing Character Creation (Fantasia), Server Transfer, Character Name Change, and access for up to 8 additional retainers. New players receive a single Fantasia through in-game storyline progression.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\FINAL FANTASY XIV - A Realm Reborn\
macOS (OS X) $HOME/Documents/My Games/FINAL FANTASY XIV - A Realm Reborn/
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/39210/pfx/[Note 1]

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
Steam Cloud
Client and character settings can be backed up to Square Enix servers on the character selection screen. Character progression is saved to servers automatically.[3]

Video

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor
AMD Eyefinity doesn't work with DX11.
Ultra-widescreen
Quest cutscenes feature black bars when playing in non-16:9 resolutions. Mid-battle cinematics support all aspect ratios. For a fix, install Dalamud by using the XIVLauncher and get the plugin "Ultrawide Cutscenes". Beware that third-party modifications go directly against the game's Terms of Service, and can be a bannable offense if discussed publicly.
4K Ultra HD
Higher resolution UI assets for 1440p/4K resolutions were added in Patch 5.5.
Field of view (FOV)
FOV is determined by aspect ratio. 16:9 is 78° horizontal. Use FFXIV Zoom Hack to change it. Beware that third-party modifications go directly against the game's Terms of Service, and can be a bannable offense if discussed publicly.
Windowed
Supports both preset and custom resolutions.
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
4x, 8x, or 16x. Bilinear and Trilinear filtering modes are also available.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
FXAA.
High-fidelity upscaling
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
Automatically enabled when using the built-in framerate limiter.
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
Character physics effects are greatly reduced at framerates above 60 FPS.
High dynamic range display (HDR)
Can be forced via Special K.
Ray tracing (RT)
Color blind mode
Protanopia, deuteranopia, tritanopia. Filter strength can be adjusted using the "Range" slider.

Input

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
System Configuration > Mouse Settings > Mouse Camera Sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Both X and Y axes can be inverted independently. Options for both 3rd and 1st Person camera modes are available.
Controller
Controller support
Full controller support
Must input Username and Password with Keyboard. Chat and other features may also require keyboard input.
Controller remapping
Limited remapping to areas of controller. Eg, all front buttons can be set to do a select few things things, but cannot be applied to bumpers buttons / sticks vice versa.
Controller sensitivity
Character Configuration > Control Settings > Camera Speed (Analog Stick)
Controller Y-axis inversion
Both X and Y axes can be inverted independently. Options for both 3rd and 1st Person camera modes are available.
Controller types
XInput-compatible controllers
Xbox button prompts
Impulse Trigger vibration
PlayStation controllers
DualShock 3, DualShock 4, DualSense
Native support for DualShock 4 and DualSense were added in Patch 6.0.
PlayStation button prompts
DualShock 3, DualShock 4 and DualSense button prompts.
Light bar support
Adaptive trigger support
Wired only.
DualSense haptic feedback support
Wired only.
Connection modes Wired, Wireless (DualShock 4 USB Wireless Adapter)
Tracked motion controllers
Generic/other controllers
Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M

Audio

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Music, Sound Effects, Dialogue, System Sounds, Ambient Sounds, and Performance.
Volumes for the player, party members, and all other player characters can also be adjusted independently, as well as listening position (camera-based or character-based)
Surround sound
Up to 5.1 supported.
Subtitles
Featured in all cutscenes and dialogue events. Cannot be disabled.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Can be tweaked to allow specific sound sources to remain unmuted even when focus is lost.

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Global server only
Simplified Chinese
Chinese server only
French
Global server only
German
Global server only
Japanese
Global server only for the Japanese text
Korean
Korean server only
Russian
Fan translation over Global server, WIP

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Notes
LAN play
Online play
Requires an internet connection at all times while playing.
Supports cross-play with PS4 and PS5 versions.

Connection types

Type Native Notes
Matchmaking
Players can match up with other players from their data center for dungeon and raid content using the Duty Finder system.
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Multiple data centers to choose from depending on player region. There are no sub-regional splits per region (e.g. All North American data centers are NA West, located in California).
Self-hosting
Direct IP
Players can freely visit other world "servers" using the World Visit System, and visit other data centers within their region using the Data Center Travel system. However, travel between different regions (e.g. North America to Oceania) is currently restricted.

Ports

Protocol Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP 80, 443, 54992-54994, 55006-55007, 55021-55040
UDP 55296-55551
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.

VR support

Issues unresolved

Error 90000

This is a generic error code for disconnection from the game server. This issue may have something to do with your local network configuration, or ISP packet shaping/throttling.[4]

Fatal DirectX Error (11000002)

This is a generic error appearing when some sort of graphics or graphics driver issue causes the game to grow unstable and crash.
These errors are typically caused by high GPU load or graphics card overclocks; the game is very sensitive to unstable GPU and memory clocks and will frequently crash in scenarios where other games would not.

Issues fixed

Poor performance on macOS systems

Switch to and install the unofficial XIV on Mac launcher.
Utilizes more efficient translation (custom Wine, DXVK+MoltenVK) to increase performance by up to 2X over the official client.
Features support for popular third-party tools, such as GShade, Dalamud, Anamnesis, and more.
Provides unofficial support for Apple Silicon chips, with increased performance.
128GB M1 Ultra configurations are supported as of version 4.4.1.

Stuck at loading screen before character selection

Stuck at loading screen before character selection[5]
  1. Go to %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\FINAL FANTASY XIV - A Realm Reborn\
  2. Edit FFXIV.cfg
  3. Change CutsceneMovieOpening from 0 to 1
  4. Save the file and restart the game.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 9.0c, 11 Direct3D 9 support is limited to the 32-bit client, which is deprecated and set to be removed in the near future.
Metal support
Support for the Metal API is achieved via a combination of DXVK + MoltenVK running atop CodeWeavers' CrossOver. As such, performance is generally worse compared to native Direct3D on Windows.
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows
While still usable, the 32-bit client is officially deprecated and set to be removed in the near future.
macOS (OS X)
A 64-bit update to the game client was released in late November 2019.[6]

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Physics Havok
Cutscenes Bink Video

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
Processor (CPU) Intel Core i7-6700 (3.4 GHz)
AMD Ryzen 5 1600X (3.6 GHz)
System memory (RAM) 8 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 140 GB HDD
Video card (GPU) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
AMD Radeon RX 480
4 GB of VRAM
DirectX 11 compatible
Reflects the upcoming changes to system requirements in the upcoming Dawntrail expansion (Summer 2024). See the current system requirements here.
Due to the removal of support for TLS 1.0/1.1 encryption in Patch 6.15, Windows 7 is no longer officially supported and cannot connect to the game servers without registry modifications.
macOS (OS X)
Minimum
Operating system (OS) macOS 11.1 (Big Sur), 12.4 (Monterey), 13.0 (Ventura)
Processor (CPU) Intel Core i5 3.5 GHz or better
Apple M1 or better
System memory (RAM) 4 GB or higher
Hard disk drive (HDD) 80 GB
Video card (GPU) AMD Radeon R9 M295X or better
Apple M1 integrated graphics (8-core) or better
Recommended model: iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) or newer, or a Mac with the M1 chip or better
A resolution of 1600x900 or higher is recommended.
Apple Silicon chips (M1 series, M2) are supported when the Rosetta translation layer is installed.
Graphical corruption issues may occur under certain circumstances if using Intel Iris Pro graphics.


Notes

  1. File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data (use Wine regedit to access Windows registry paths). Games with Steam Cloud support may store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/39210/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (39210) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.

References

  1. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Coming to PS4, E3 Trailer – PlayStation.Blog - last accessed on 9 June 2023
  2. I found a copy, need help :: FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn General Discussions - last accessed on May 2023
  3. na.finalfantasyxiv.com - last accessed on 9 June 2023
  4. forum.square-enix.com - last accessed on May 2023
  5. Stuck with a loading screen. - Reddit - last accessed on May 2023
  6. https://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/news/detail/27cf2c1449725c0e4536e14a70079d09593ffba0 [Follow-up]macOS Catalina Support (Nov. 29) | FINAL FANTASY XIV, The Lodestone]