Final Fantasy 16 runs at 720p on Xbox Series X in performance mode

PlayStation 5 exclusivity has ended and Final Fantasy 16 is now on Xbox consoles, but apparently at inferior quality.

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Early analysis of Final Fantasy 16's Xbox port show signs that the game may look better on PlayStation 5 with the frame rate priority preset. According to Digital Foundry, the PS5 version has better visual quality than the Xbox Series X version when running in the game's performance mode, with things like foliage standing out on Microsoft's console.

"Both versions seem to use the TSC MAA+FSR1 combo that the PS5 version shipped with at launch, but the Xbox version is consistently lower resolution," Digital Foundry's Ollie Mack said.

The trade off for lower resolution is a steady and locked 60FPS on Series X, whereas the PS5 can have variable frame rates between the 45-60FPS thresholds.

Final Fantasy 16's performance mode targets 1080p 60FPS on PS5 and, according to the analysis, 720p 60FPS on Xbox Series X.

The reality is that Sony was a big part of why Final Fantasy 16 was even created in the first place, with Square Enix signing a deal that helped fund the game and give advanced resources to the teams in exchange for timed exclusivity (it took nearly 3 years to release FF16 on Xbox). It's unclear if there was prioritization of game optimization for PlayStation 5 as a result.

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