Final Fantasy 14 purchases on Xbox require an extra currency
Xbox Game Pass needed for full game.
On Xbox, Final Fantasy 14 will have its own currency for service fees and optional item purchases.
The MMORPG will arrive on Xbox consoles on 21st March following its open beta, with Square Enix releasing further details on the launch in a new Lodestone blog post.
Not only is Game Pass required to play the game in full, but FFXIV Coins will be required to make purchases - a new currency not used on PC or PlayStation.
The new currency will be used for "service fees", presumably monthly access, and various optional extras like emotes, mounts, and costumes.
FFXIV Coins will first need to be purchased from the Microsoft Store. Then, when players log into the game on Xbox, these coins will be credited to their Square Enix Account.
When playing on Xbox Series X/S, "payments will be handled using FFXIV Coins only," reads the blog post.
On PC and PlayStation, purchases can be made directly from the Final Fantasy 14 Online Store or Mog Station without the need for an extra currency. It's unclear why Microsoft requires this extra barrier to entry.
Further, Xbox Game Pass (Core or Ultimate) is required to play - as previously reported - although it's not required to access the game's free trial.
In short, the free trial can be accessed by anyone on an Xbox console and is not a Game Pass library title. It's now been expanded to include the Stormblood expansion, however it does have various restrictions.
To play beyond that on Xbox, or to purchase the game in full, players will also need a Game Pass subscription. This differs from PlayStation where PS Plus is not required.
That said, the Starter Edition of the game (including A Realm Reborn and the first two expansions, Heavensward and Stormblood) will be available for free as a perk for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. This is only until 19th April.
Square Enix announced Final Fantasy 14 would be coming to Xbox at last year's Fan Fest event in Las Vegas. However, these new details may sour the experience for Xbox owners.
Next up for all Final Fantasy 14 players will be new expansion Dawntrail, out this summer.