FFXIV PS3 Delay Due to Memory Restrictions

Square Enix revealed last week that they are delaying PS3 version of Final Fantasy XIV due to the system’s lack of memory compared to most current PCs. This is a problem that has affected at least several computer games and both consoles.

Producer Hiromichi Tanaka spoke to VG247 at Gamescom 2010 about the situation with Final Fantasy XIV on consoles. “The main reason was the memory,” he said through a translator in regards to the technical issues Square Enix is having with the game on PS3. That version of the game won’t come out until next March while the PC version will be out this September.

“On the PC, they have enormous memory. For PS3, there’s a restriction.” When VG247 asked what kind of memory Tanaka meant – hardware memory or media memory, Tanaka simply stated in English “memory.” It is most likely he was referring to RAM – one of the biggest weaknesses of not only the PS3 but both HD consoles compared to PCs.

Each of the two consoles has a combined 512MB of onboard RAM shared between the CPU and GPU – freely programmable in the case of the Xbox 360 but evenly split on the PS3. Most PCs today have between 2GB and 4GB of RAM for the CPU and at least an additional 512MB dedicated to the GPU.

On top of that, Final Fantasy XIV’s system requirements on the PC are a bit harsher than most games. The game requires a minimum of 2GB of system RAM but recommends 4GB when most games can get by on around 1.5GB.

This isn’t the first time RAM restrictions have kept a computer game from coming to consoles intact. RAM was the main reason Crytek gave for why they couldn’t port the original Crysis to consoles. “Next generation consoles like the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 do not offer the sufficient power,” said Crytek senior designer Bernd Diemer at the 2006 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany.

There’s also some possibility that hard drive storage space could be an issue for Final Fantasy XIV on consoles.

MMORPGs typically make a big imprint on hard drives – World of Warcraft requires 15GB with all expansions included, and Final Fantasy XIV will require the same on PC. This could be a problem for consoles where the base hard drive size is just 20GB. Blizzard even cited this as one of the reasons WoW probably won’t ever come to consoles. Final Fantasy XI on Xbox 360 requires a hard drive and the PS2 version shipped with a 100GB hard drive.

Square Enix says that like other PS3 ports, they are trying to adjust their game for the PS3’s architecture. “They are adjusting the memory size and customizing it; it took longer then we were expecting,” said Tanaka. “But we’re really working hard to bring it out as soon as possible.”