After years of waiting, Final Fantasy 16 has finally launched as a timed exclusive for PlayStation 5. Despite a few technical issues, the game’s review roundup showed a positive reception at launch.
However, initial sales reports have been less impressive. According to Christopher Dring from GamesIndustry, physical sales are down by a staggering 74% compared to the Final Fantasy 15 launch.
Why It Matters: The declining physical sales of Final Fantasy 16 indicate gamers are moving away from physical copies. This could mean that the era of discs for video games may come to an end soon.
Final Fantasy 16 is No.1 this week in the UK, but as boxed launches go, it wasn’t a particularly strong one. Physical sales are 74% lower than the launch week of Final Fantasy 15 in 2016. Obviously, digital is a much much bigger component of sales today. That data comes later
— Christopher Dring (@Chris_Dring) June 25, 2023
It should be noted that overall sales for physical copies are on a downward trend, with most gamers shifting to digital releases. Compared to the 2016 launch of Final Fantasy 15, this trend is also seen in the JRPG franchise.
Final Fantasy 16 will show much better figures when digital sales results are included. Final Fantasy 15 was released on multiple platforms, giving it an inherent advantage when comparing sales.
Final Fantasy 16’s UK physical launch was bigger than Diablo 4’s and Dead Island 2’s, so I really wouldn’t conclude anything from the boxed figures. It sits behind Resident Evil 4, Star Wars, Hogwarts and Zelda in terms of week 1 boxed sales.
— Christopher Dring (@Chris_Dring) June 25, 2023
Christopher Dring further reported that Final Fantasy 16 debuted as the top-selling game in the UK this week.
Despite trailing behind its predecessor, Final Fantasy 16 still had a decent physical launch, beating recent games like Dead Island 2 and Diablo 4. However, it could not match games like Resident Evil 4 Remake, Hogwarts Legacy, etc.
Lower physical sales could mean developers potentially leave out physical releases for games. Games like Alan Wake 2 have already begun to move in this direction.
Previously, It was reported that pre-orders for Final Fantasy 16 were lower compared to Final Fantasy 15. Given the former’s PS5 exclusivity, this was not too surprising. However, waiting for further sales data to make accurate conclusions would be best.
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