No. 03Online role-playing game
Final Fantasy XIV: a free trial to level 80, on more kit than ever
Square Enix's online role-playing game now spans PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch 2, and its free trial runs all the way to level 80 with no time limit.
01 · the kit listWhere Final Fantasy XIV plays
A proper multi-platform online world: one character across PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch 2, all on the same servers. The trade-off is a subscription, and Xbox adds Game Pass on top.
- Desktop PCPlays
Square Enix's own launcher or Steam, on 64-bit Windows 11. Minimum is a GTX 970-class card with 4 GB.
- Everyday laptopNot available
The minimum card is beyond integrated graphics.
- Steam DeckWith caveats · Playable
Valve rates the Steam version Playable: the launcher may need the touchscreen, the controller has to be switched on in settings, and default graphics need lowering.
- PlayStation 5Plays
PS5 and PS4 versions; PS Plus is not needed.
- Xbox Series X|SPlays
Series X|S. Game Pass Essential or higher is required to play, except the free trial.
- Nintendo Switch 2Plays · New in August 2026
Launched on 4 August 2026 with the free trial. It needs its own subscription, at half price if you already subscribe elsewhere; Switch Online is not needed.
- Phone & tabletNot available
No phone or tablet version.
- MacPlays · Apple silicon
Official Apple silicon version (M1 or later).
- Cloud streamingWith caveats · Xbox or PS Plus Premium
Stream through Xbox cloud streaming or PS Plus Premium; it is not on GeForce NOW.
02 · on a PCWhat your PC needs
- System
- Windows 11, 64-bit
- Processor
- Core i5-8400
- Memory
- 8 GB
- Graphics
- GeForce GTX 970 (4 GB) or Radeon RX 480
- Storage
- 140 GB
- System
- Windows 11, 64-bit
- Processor
- Core i7-9700
- Memory
- 16 GB
- Graphics
- GeForce RTX 2060 (6 GB) or Radeon RX 5600 XT
- Storage
- 140 GB on an SSD
Published by Square Enix. Square Enix says it cannot guarantee Windows 10 after its end of support. Mac: M1 with 8 GB minimum, M2 Pro with 16 GB recommended. Official requirements.
03 · the verdictThe online world with a story worth staying for
Final Fantasy XIV is Square Enix's online role-playing game: thousands of players share its world, but most of it can be played as a long, cinematic Final Fantasy story with other players only where you choose. You pick a job, change it whenever you like on the same character, and work through a main story that spans the base game and five expansions.
Its reputation rests on that story, which grows from a slow start into some of the best writing Final Fantasy has produced, and on a friendly community that is unusually patient with newcomers. Group content is matched automatically, so you are rarely stuck waiting for friends.
It is a subscription game, but the free trial is exceptionally generous: since April 2026 it covers everything up to level 80, including the first three expansions, with no time limit. That is hundreds of hours before you pay anything.
Kit reach is broad. The same character plays on Windows, Apple silicon Macs, PlayStation 5 and 4, Xbox Series and, since August 2026, Switch 2, all on shared servers. Valve rates the Steam version Playable on Steam Deck. Xbox players pay for Game Pass Essential as well as the game's subscription.
Start it if…
you want a long story to live in, with friends or strangers, and you are happy to pay monthly once the free trial runs out.
Skip it if…
you dislike subscriptions or slow openings; the first few dozen hours are the weakest part.
04 · the score8.4 out of 10, and why
05 · the billWhat it costs in the UK
| Store | What you get | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Enix Store | Complete Edition (PC and Mac, 30 days included) | £34.99 | |
| Steam | Complete Edition | £39.99 | |
| PlayStation Store | Complete Edition | £44.99 | |
| Nintendo eShop | Complete Edition (Switch 2) | £44.99 | |
| Subscription | Entry, 30 days | £7.69 | |
| Subscription | Standard, 30 days | £8.99 | |
| All platforms | Free trial to level 80 | Free | No time limit |
Online play on consoles
- PlayStation
- Not needed (the game's own subscription applies)
- Xbox
- Game Pass Essential or higher, plus the game's subscription
- Nintendo
- Not needed (Switch 2 has its own game subscription)
What the shop sells
The monthly subscription is the main cost. The optional Online Store sells specific cosmetics, services and a paid story skip and level boost; nothing sold has random contents.
PEGI purchase descriptor: In-game purchases.
Which edition? Start with the free trial: since April 2026 it covers the base game and the first three expansions up to level 80, with no time limit. When you are ready, the Complete Edition includes everything up to Dawntrail. Buy it on the platform you will play most, because each platform needs its own licence.
06 · starting in 2026The best moment to start in years
The free trial grew to level 80 in April 2026, the game arrived on Switch 2 in August, and patch 7.56 in September wrapped up the story before the next expansion, Evercold, which is due in January 2027.
Patch 7.5 expanded the free trial to include Shadowbringers, up to level 80. Source.
The Nintendo Switch 2 version launched, with the free trial on day one. Source.
Patch 7.56 added the last story quests before the next expansion. Source.
The Evercold expansion is due in January 2027, raising the level cap to 110 with two new jobs; no exact date yet.
07 · strengths and catchesWorth knowing
Strengths
- A free trial up to level 80 with no time limit
- One character across PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch 2
- An outstanding main story once it gets going
- No paid random items in its store
Catches
- A monthly subscription after the trial
- A slow first stretch before the story takes off
- Xbox needs Game Pass on top of the subscription
08 · first stepsBefore your first session
- Start with the free trial on the platform you expect to keep using; your character carries across later.
- Follow the main scenario quests, marked with a meteor icon, and skip most side quests at first.
- Try a different job whenever you like: it is the same character, and levelling a second job is quick.
- Use the Duty Finder for dungeons; players are matched automatically, including from other platforms.
09 · screenshotsHow it looks
Screenshots: official, © Square Enix.
10 · questionsCommon questions
How far does the Final Fantasy XIV free trial go?
Up to level 80, covering the base game and the first three expansions, with no time limit. Some social and trading features are limited.
Do I need PS Plus or Game Pass?
Not on PlayStation. On Xbox you need Game Pass Essential or higher on top of the game's own subscription, except during the free trial.
Is Final Fantasy XIV on Switch 2?
Yes, since 4 August 2026. It needs its own subscription, which is half price if you already subscribe on another platform.
Does it sell random items?
No. The Online Store sells specific cosmetics and services.