Final Fantasy VII Remake finally made it to PC on December 16th, like announced during The Game Awards. That’s great news, but there’s one catch: Square Enix is selling it for the next-gen console price of £65 / $70/€80.
Perhaps this is not a surprise. The upcoming FFVII Remake on PC is an “Intergrade” version made for the PlayStation 5, which adds visual polish and a photo mode. There has been a push to increase the price of games on PlayStation 5 from the previous $60 standard, and the Intergrade version – and other console exclusives like Returnal – to $70 on consoles.
So far, however, publishers selling the next-gen console game for $70 have continued to sell the PC version for $60. For example, Call Of Duty: Vanguard is $10 cheaper on PC than it is on console. Square Enix was the first to change that and it’s not just Epic exclusive FFVII upgrade. Their new action game Forspoken, launching in May 2022, listed on Steam for the same price. Both games also have an even more expensive “premium edition” that includes DLC and other cosmetic items.
Compared to other forms of entertainment, video games have a pretty good cost-to-duration ratio. However, that kind of calculation assumes you’ll play every game you buy until it’s done, and I know that, for me, simply isn’t true. There’s a good chance I’ll play FFVII for six hours, enjoy my time with it, and then never come back. The cost cannot be justified in those cases.
At the same time, games don’t last long at launch prices, there are a lot of new games coming out at much lower prices, and the rise of subscription services like PC Game Pass increases the number of games available. Affordable play still. I find myself prone to contradictions: I can’t imagine ever paying £65/$70 for a PC game, but then I don’t think I’ll pay either.
