Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox forces a new MMO currency on you for reasons
If you’re playing Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox Series X|S, you get an extra layer of hassle to make purchases in the MMO game – a new currency. These Final Fantasy 14 coins – the official name, not mine – are used for everything from “service fees” to Mog Station purchases, and there’s no way to just pay normal money to get what you want.
Service fees presumably includes your monthly FF14 subscription cost. Bear in mind you’ll also need an Xbox Game Pass subscription to play the full game, though not the free trial.
You have to purchase FF14 coins through the Microsoft Store and then add them to your linked Square Enix account, an annoyance that PS5 and PC players don’t have to deal with. It’s an odd choice, though one in keeping with how Xbox handles other MMOs on the platform, including Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis.
Square Enix announced the news in a blog post outlining how to start playing FF14 on Xbox. You can get the Starter Edition, which includes A Realm Reborn; Heavensward; and Stormblood - the three expansions available in the free trial. There’s also a complete edition, which also comes with Shadowbringers and Endwalker, and a complete collector’s edition, which just throws in some extra cosmetics, mounts, and minions.
It’s a lot of fuss and bother, but as I said in our FF14 beginner’s guide, you really aren’t missing much if you just stick with the free trial for a while. It gets you three massive RPGs with most of their features intact at no cost, so you can take your time getting through them. If you like what you see, you can use the same Square Enix account to continue on another platform that doesn’t require two separate subscriptions to play.
Final Fantasy 14 launches for Xbox on March 21, 2024, and if you’ve already started the free trial, you can just carry on using the same account.