Final Fantasy 16 is making a mockery of PlayStation 5 sales records in Japan, leaving its rivals in the dust. Despite a touch of controversy at its launch, Square Enix’s latest contribution to the JRPG franchise is lighting up the leaderboards with sky-high sales figures.
Final Fantasy 16: Overcoming Controversies to Dominate PS5 Sales
Speculation swirled around whether Final Fantasy 16 could replicate the success of its predecessors in the Land of the Rising Sun, particularly because the game has taken a decidedly Western tilt. This is the first time a Final Fantasy instalment has prioritised recording English dialogue first.
RELATED: Final Fantasy 16 Trophy List In Full
Even though its creators hail from a Japanese game studio, and the storyline was penned by native Japanese speaker, Kazutoyo Maehiro. Still, any jitters about the iconic JRPG franchise losing its Eastern charm can now be quashed, with FF16 sales stats in East Asia telling a compelling tale. The title hasn’t been so lucky in the Middle-East however, as it received a ban completely in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
Japan’s renowned video game news source, Famitsu, has dropped some jaw-dropping numbers on Final Fantasy 16’s retail sales, a whopping 336 thousand units shifted, no less! That easily crowns it the top-dog retail launch for any PlayStation 5 game in the region. To put that in perspective, as Twitter user Genki highlights, it’s nearly four times the retail launch sales of Elden Ring, which is currently trailing in second place.
Final Fantasy 16: Proving JRPG’s Popularity Amid Sony’s Western Shift
Beyond being simply extraordinary, these sales figures prove there’s still a keen interest in both Final Fantasy and PlayStation 5 in Japan. Sony’s noticeable Western leanings in recent years, with most PS5 exclusives, such as Returnal and God of War: Ragnarok, crafted by Western developers, had raised a few eyebrows. The PS5 took its sweet time to get up to speed in its home market, while the Nintendo Switch has been running rings around the competition. The game received gold status 3 months before even being released to the public.
Despite Final Fantasy 16 facing some review-bombing from disgruntled franchise fans, it continues to score top marks from critics and garner applause from a sizeable chunk of its fandom. The game is enjoying a victory lap, not just in Japan but globally, with a massive three million copies already snapped up, making it one of the PS5’s top sellers worldwide. Of course, the pool of PS5 exclusives is dwindling as games find their way to the PC, but here’s hoping FF16 continues its record-breaking spree as it captures gamers’ imaginations worldwide.
MORE: Final Fantasy 16 Day One Patch Details
Final Fantasy 16 is up for grabs now on PlayStation 5.
Source – Famitsu
About The Author
Stephen is the proud owner of a popular gaming news website GLN, where he provides the latest updates on everything gaming-related. With a passion for video games that dates back to his childhood, Stephen is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with fellow gamers around the world.