Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director says Square Enix would have to compromise “the quality of the final chapter” to ship the game fully on disc
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the third and final installment of the FF7 Remake trilogy, will release on physical media across all three major consoles. Despite this, players purchasing the physical version will be required to download additional content to experience the full game.
Series director Naoki Hamaguchi explained the decision, stating that fitting the entire game on a single disc would have necessitated compromises to the game’s fidelity and quality. By requiring a digital download alongside the physical media, Square Enix avoided reducing visual quality or game content.
The announcement drew mixed reactions from physical media and game collector communities. While collectors were initially pleased to see a disc-based release for a major AAA title, the requirement for a mandatory download tempered that enthusiasm.
The situation underscores broader industry tensions around physical media viability. Modern AAA games have grown so large that current disc technology struggles to contain them entirely. This challenge comes amid significant industry-wide shifts toward digital distribution, exemplified by Sony’s recent announcement to phase out disc-based PlayStation consoles going forward.
Consumer pushback against digital-only platforms has been substantial, with concerns centered on platform holders controlling digital storefronts and pricing without competitive alternatives from physical retailers. The FF7 Revelation situation demonstrates why physical releases increasingly require supplementary digital content—the storage limitations of optical media cannot accommodate the scale of contemporary game development.