One of the headlining features for the Final Fantasy 14 PS5 beta launching later this month is its faster loading times, but you really need to see it to fully appreciate it.
The latest Final Fantasy 14 Letter from the Producer presentation was largely focused on new stuff coming in the MMORPG's upcoming patch 5.5. The PS5 version of the game will launch along with the new update's arrival on April 13, so they took the chance to show off just how much time you'll need to spend loading from one zone to the next - or rather, how little.
#FFXIV PS5 version loading speed - don't blink or you'll miss it! pic.twitter.com/SAJt6fsswzApril 2, 2021
The video shows Naoki Yoshida's character teleporting into the Limsa Lominsa lower docks. The actual loading only begins when the screen goes black (the progress bar before that just represents how long it takes to cast the teleport ability), and by my best estimate it takes less than 3 seconds. Limsa Lominsa is one of FF14's capital cities, full of detailed architecture, interactive objects, NPCs, and fellow players – all of which has given it a famously slow load time on PS4 – so it may take even less time to go to a less jam-packed zone.
Moving from one zone to the next often means snack-grabbing time for MMO players, so this could be a massive quality of life improvement on PS5. Other improvements in the beta include higher frame rates, true 4K resolution, and even support for the DualSense controller's special haptic feedback features.
Check out OPM's recent interview with Naoki Yoshida for even more insight into the promising future of Final Fantasy 14 on next-gen consoles.
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