Final Fantasy VII remake is being built with both PS4 and next-generation consoles in mind, Square Enix's President says

With Final Fantasy VII Remake managing to lock in a March 3rd 2020 release date, the highly-anticipated re-imagining of one of gaming's most beloved RPGs has just managed to squeeze in as this console generation begins to wrap up - with Microsoft and Sony already talking first details about their next-generation machines, which are also expected next year.

Final Fantasy fans thinking about continuing their progress to the next game in the multi-part retelling of FF7's story can rest easy, however - as it appears the game is being developed not just with PlayStation 4 in mind, but also other future new hardware.

"I believe that our teams have made it so that the game will support both the next generation and the current generation of consoles," Square Enix President Yosuke Matsuda told Game Informer in an interview at E3. "I believe it is being developed so that it is going to be playable on both, so I'm not really concerned about that and I believe that the fans are also going to be able to enjoy it on both, including the next-generation of consoles."

While Matsuda is not actually working directly on the game and is careful to shroud these statements with a quick 'I believe', he's at the very top of the pile at Square Enix and is surely aware of broader plans - so these comments make it seem quite likely that the FF7 remake series will jump over to next generation platforms - or that we might see updates or re-releases to the first game to bring it in line with newer hardware once it launches. 

FF7 Remake, which will appear as multiple games over an as-yet undetermined time period, was announced with a 'first on PS4' deal in place, though that wording obviously leaves quite a bit of wriggle room once the first part releases on PS4 in March. It feels likely that Square Enix will also look to put the game on Xbox, PC and Stadia - at which point we'll likely be at the head of a new console generation.

Square Enix will be focused on polishing the initial release of the first chapter of FF7 Remake first, however. That Midgar-focused chapter of the game is available for pre-order now.