Square Enix director Naoki Hamaguchi has addressed fan concerns regarding Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's physical edition requiring a digital download, explaining that the decision was made to avoid compromising the game's fidelity and quality.
Unlike its predecessor, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and the 2023 release Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which both shipped on two discs—one for installation and one for play—Rebirth will not follow this multi-disc format. This change means the physical release will function similarly to a digital key, relying on network servers to download the full game should it be deleted from a player's console.
This approach has drawn criticism, particularly in light of Sony's plans to cease manufacturing new PlayStation discs in 2028. Hamaguchi acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue, stating that the development team engaged in extensive internal discussions about how to handle the physical release. While initially considering a multi-disc setup similar to Rebirth, the team determined that this would necessitate compromises in the game's quality.
"When we had an internal discussion with the development team about how we wanted to approach the physical discs and the physical releases of FFVII Revelation, initially there were conversations about using the same disc size as we did for, say, FFVII Rebirth. But if we were to do that, it would mean that we would have to make a compromise in terms of the fidelity and the quality of the game," Hamaguchi told IGN. "So as a development team, we didn't want to do that. We didn't want to make any compromises for the game."
He elaborated that the only viable option to avoid these compromises was to release the physical disc with a significant portion of the game available as a digital download. Hamaguchi expressed understanding that this decision may not satisfy all players but remains content that a physical format is still being offered. "I would hope that our fans and players would be able to share that as well," he added.
The exact nature of the fidelity compromises Hamaguchi referred to remains unclear. Rebirth featured a substantial install size nearing 150GB, and while PS5 discs can hold up to 100GB, a three-disc setup for Rebirth would likely be a matter of increased manufacturing costs rather than a technical limitation preventing quality preservation.
Critics have argued against this justification, pointing out that PS5 supports multiple-disc releases for large games. A community note on Hamaguchi's post on X stated, "PS5 games aren’t limited to a one disc. While each PS5 game disc can hold up to100GB, multiple-disc releases are supported and have been used for large PS5games.Therefore, claiming that avoiding multiple discs requires compromising game quality is a lie, not a technical necessity."
Despite the backlash, Square Enix does not appear to be reconsidering its stance. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is scheduled for release on April 8.