Summary
- Majority of Final Fantasy 14 players outside Japan use mouse and keyboard, while Japan prefers gamepads.
- Global fans prefer Legacy over Standard control scheme, reflecting better movement mechanics in-game.
- Potential reasons for Japan's input device preference include console usage and future platform releases.
Final Fantasy 14 recently revealed that fans in every country except Japan prefer to use a mouse and keyboard to play the critically-acclaimed MMORPG. While this input style is popular across the globe, the majority of Final Fantasy 14 players in Japan prefer to use gamepads and controllers instead.
As an MMO with full cross-platform compatibility, Final Fantasy 14 features a robust control scheme for players on both gamepads and mouse and keyboard. Though there are ways to use controllers on the PC and mouse and keyboard on consoles, this is a vital accessibility feature so fans can enjoy the game without needing to purchase new peripherals for their preferred platform – though fans who do anyway might consider designing a custom controller after their favorite Final Fantasy 14 job.
Interview: Final Fantasy 14's Yoshi-P Reflects on Dawntrail, Teases Upcoming Content
In a The Best War Games interview, Yoshi-P talked about everything from login queues to his biggest points of pride for Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail.
During a panel at PAX West, Final Fantasy 14 lead UI designer Kei Adagiri revealed which of these input devices was used the most by fans across the globe. According to the Final Fantasy 14 statistics he shared during the presentation, mouse and keyboard are much more popular in most places in the world, with 60% of NA players and 67% in Europe using them over controllers. However, Japan is the complete opposite, with a whopping 77% of fans choosing to use a gamepad instead.
Controllers Vs. Mouse and Keyboard in Final Fantasy 14
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Controller vs. Mouse and Keyboard
- North America: 40% Controller – 60% Mouse and Keyboard
- Europe: 33% Controller – 67% Mouse and Keyboard
- Japan: 77% Controller – 23% Mouse and Keyboard
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Standard vs. Legacy Control Scheme
- North America: 31% Standard – 69% Legacy
- Europe: 35% Standard – 65% Legacy
- Japan: 3% Standard – 97% Legacy
Adagiri shared information about which character control setting players use in-game as well: Legacy or Standard. The former fully separates movement from the camera, allowing the character to fully turn around by moving backwards instead of backpedaling as they do in the latter. An overwhelming majority of fans across the globe prefer Legacy, with 65% of European, 69% of North American, and 97% of Japanese players using the system over the default Standard mode.
It is hard to say exactly why the disparity between input devices exists in Japan without further data. It could be that more fans play Final Fantasy 14 on PlayStation 4 or 5 there, as the console is extremely popular in its home country. Between a third and half of players are on console, with the number increasing even more as of Final Fantasy 14’s launch on Xbox, so the metrics for the other regions of the world seem to reflect a similar ratio. If Final Fantasy 14 eventually releases on Nintendo systems as director and producer Naoki Yoshida hopes, that number may shift even more.
That wasn’t the only topic Adagiri covered during this panel. He also revealed Final Fantasy 14’s progress towards implementing several quality-of-life features, including chat bubbles, the raid planning strategy board, and improvements to gpose and screenshots. Players should expect to see these new improvements in some of Dawntrail’s post-launch patches either this year or next.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 86 /100 Critics Rec: 92%
- Released
- August 27, 2013
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Crystal Tools
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S
WHERE TO PLAY
Begin your adventure in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn
Create your very own Warrior of Light and embark upon a quest to deliver the land from an eternity of Darkness.
Take to the skies in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward
Take your first steps in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, locked in a seemingly never-ending struggle with dragons.
Rekindle the fires of hope in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Stormblood
Journey to the East and rise up against the might of the Garlean Empire.
Become the darkness in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers
Travel to a world where light ushers all unto oblivion. But hope is not yet lost, for where there is light there is shadow.
Journey to the very stars above in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker
A great calamity has been building - a second advent of the Final Days. The Warrior of Light must journey ever higher and stand firm as hope's last bastion.
Set forth for new horizons in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dawntrail
Blue seas, clear skies, and boundless possibilities await! Explore uncharted territories with familiar faces as hope's light dawns once more.
- Cross Save
- no
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
