It’s barely been three hours since FFXIV launched on Switch 2 and all hell has already broken loose. To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with the game itself per se. From all accounts, it seems to run pretty smoothly and I’ll have a proper impressions piece for it later this week. The issue is more with booting the game up in the first place and getting your subscription to work.
There are a few things you need to be aware of and be careful about if you’re thinking of getting FFXIV on Switch 2, so let’s get into it.
Which Version of FFXIV Should You Purchase on Switch 2?
Right off the bat, even just buying Final Fantasy XIV on the Switch 2 eShop is confusing enough. Here’s a quick table to help you out:
| Free Trial | Starter Edition | Complete Edition | Complete Collector’s Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| FREE | $19.99 | $59.99 | $139.99 |
| Includes: A Realm Reborn Heavensward Stormblood Shadowbringers | Includes: A Realm Reborn Heavensward Stormblood Shadowbringers | Includes: A Realm Reborn Heavensward Stormblood Shadowbringers Endwalker Dawntrail | Includes: A Realm Reborn Heavensward Stormblood Shadowbringers Endwalker Dawntrail |
| Level 80 cap | Level 80 cap | Level 100 cap | Level 100 cap |
| No monthly subscription required | Monthly subscription required | Monthly subscription required | Monthly subscription required |
| No bonuses | No bonuses | No bonuses | Bonus in-game items |
Which one should you buy? Well, if you’re a new player, I’d recommend downloading the Free Trial version first. This gives you a ton of content to check out, and your only limitations are the amount of Gil you can carry, restricted chat functions, no ability to create parties, no trading, housing, or Market Board access, and no FCs. That’s a lot of restrictions, I know, but you don’t need any of these things to enjoy the game’s core content. Play it for free, then decide if you want to commit.
The Starter Edition basically offers the same content as the Free Trial, but you’ll need a monthly subscription. There’s no point in getting this over the Free Trial version in my opinion, but if you did, do note that you’ll need to purchase Dawntrail separately to get all the expansions.
The Complete Edition is the one I’d recommend for new players who are ready to commit, or for existing players who want to enjoy the game on Switch 2. The Complete Collector’s Edition gives you some bonus in-game items, but I’m not sure they’re worth it. You’ll be getting a bunch of mounts, minions, weapons, and other cosmetics. They’re nice to have, but it is a big price jump.
How Is Your FFXIV Subscription Handled on Switch 2?
Alright, here comes the confusing bit. First, for new players, things are quite straightforward. You don’t need a NSO subscription to enjoy FFXIV on Switch 2, but you will need to purchase a new currency called FFXIV Coins on the eShop to pay for your monthly subscription.
Here are the prices of the FFXIV Coin bundles:
| FFXIV Coin | Prices |
|---|---|
| 500 Coins | $4.99 |
| 1,000 Coins | $9.99 |
| 1,500 Coins | $14.99 |
| 3,000 Coins | $29.99 |
| 4,200 Coins | $41.99 |
| 10,000 Coins | $99.49 |
For reference, a Standard subscription costs 1,500 Coins, while the Entry subscription costs 1,300 Coins. If you’re an existing player with game time available on any other platform, you get a 50% discount on your Switch 2 subscription: 650 Coins for Entry and 750 Coins for Standard.
After purchasing the FFXIV Coins on the eShop, boot up FFXIV to get the coins added to your service account on the Mog Station. You’ll then need to head to the Mog Station to purchase your subscription. You cannot do it on the Switch 2 itself.
Do note that some users have reported being unable to process a Switch 2 subscription while their existing subscription is being renewed. For instance, if your PC subscription is getting renewed today, you may need to wait a while for that to get processed before you can add your Switch 2 subscription.
Region Locks
Now here’s the really tricky bit. The eShop region you purchased FFXIV from must match your Square Enix account. If your Square Enix account is under The Americas, and you purchased FFXIV from the UK eShop from instance, your accounts cannot be linked and you’ll need to start completely fresh on Switch 2, so be careful not to buy the game from the wrong region. The regions need to match.
The interesting thing about Singapore if you happen to be living here, which I do, is that Singapore seems to fall under The Americas, so you should be okay with buying the game on either the US or Singapore eShop. It’s confusing, I know, especially since there’s no Singapore Data Center in FFXIV, and we didn’t even get a Singapore eShop until very recently.
Anyway, hopefully that clears up any confusion you might’ve had regarding FFXIV‘s Switch 2 port. Whew. What a pain, huh?
