How To Literally Play Final Fantasy XIV

You've decided to play Final Fantasy XIV! The community is excited to welcome you to our favourite MMO.

Unfortunately one of the most difficult parts of FFXIV is... actually getting the game.

There is an official page breaking down version differences you can check out, but it's still pretty confusing.

Never fear though, this page is here to make it worse better.

First order of business is a Square Enix account. Your SE account is used to log in to the game launcher and the various game websites.

There is a difference between a Square Enix account and a Square Enix|Members account!

Do you have a Square Enix Account?

If you've played FFXIV in the past you already have a Square Enix account!

Your account is shared across platforms but you need to own the game on each platform you wish to play.

This means that if you want to be able to play on both PC as well as your PS5, you'll have to purchase the game AND expansions on both.

You are not limited to only controllers on console or only mouse & keyboard on PC/Mac! You can use what you prefer on each platform.

Choose Platform


FFXIV is available as both a standalone game via Square Enix directly or through Steam. Once you choose one of these options you cannot play via the other. This is strictly a personal preference, but getting the game via Steam does make certain things like buying expansions slightly more cumbersome.

If you play the free trial or purchase the game on Steam, you will always have to buy future expansions via Steam too. In some cases after purchasing on Steam you will then have to perform an additional step of adding your product key to your Square Enix account.

When the game or it's expansions are on sale, these sales are not always the same between platforms. For example, an expansion might be discounted during a Steam Summer Sale, but still priced the same in the Square Enix Store.

Steam also benefits from regional pricing which may benefit you if you live outside North America or even some European countries.

While FFXIV has official support for Mac, it is not perfect.
I highly recommend trying the Free Trial first to ensure your hardware and macOS version are supported.
  1. Start Free Trial

    The free trial has no playtime limit. You can play as much as you want in content from the included expansions.

    Get Free Trial

    Steam players can start the free trial from inside the Free Trial game launcher.

    Warning You cannot go back to the Free Trial after you've bought ANY version of the game!

  2. Purchase Game

    You'll need to get a game license by purchasing the game on your platform of choice.

    The Starter Edition and Complete Edition both include free game time!

    Warning You cannot go back to the Free Trial after you've bought ANY version of the game!
    Starter Edition

    Includes the same expansions as the free trial, but removes the trial restrictions.

    It still requires a subscription but is a cheaper way to start playing the game!

    Square-Enix Store
    Complete Edition

    Includes all expansions up to {{complete_expansion}}. After the latest expansion is released the Complete Edition will be upgraded to include it.

    Square-Enix Store
    Starter Edition

    Includes the same expansions as the free trial, but removes the trial restrictions.

    It still requires a subscription but is a cheaper way to start playing the game!

    View FFXIV on Steam
    Complete Edition

    Includes all expansions up to {{complete_expansion}}. After the latest expansion is released the Complete Edition is upgraded to include it.

    View FFXIV on Steam
    Starter Edition

    Includes the same expansions as the free trial, but removes the trial restrictions.

    It still requires a subscription but is a cheaper way to start playing the game!

    Square-Enix Store
    Complete Edition

    Includes all expansions up to {{complete_expansion}}. After the latest expansion is released the Complete Edition will be upgraded to include it.

    Square-Enix Store
    Starter Edition

    Includes the same expansions as the free trial, but removes the trial restrictions.

    It still requires a subscription but is a cheaper way to start playing the game!

    PlayStation Store
    Complete Edition

    Includes all expansions up to {{complete_expansion}}. After the latest expansion is released the Complete Edition will be upgraded to include it.

    PlayStation Store
    Starter Edition

    Includes the same expansions as the free trial, but removes the trial restrictions.

    It still requires a subscription but is a cheaper way to start playing the game!

    Microsoft Store
    Complete Edition

    Includes all expansions up to {{complete_expansion}}. After the latest expansion is released the Complete Edition will be upgraded to include it.

    Microsoft Store

    Careful when a new expansion is near!

    Purchasing the newest expansion grants you all previous expansions as well. This means you can purchase the Starter Edition to start playing, and pre-order the new expansion. When it releases, you'll receive the expansions not covered by the Starter Edition without having to pay the full price of the Complete Edition!

  3. Install Game

    Get the game launcher on your platform of choice.

    Windows
    Steam
    Mac
    PlayStation
    Xbox
    Problem with this link? Visit the Free Trial download page instead.

  4. Install Game

    Download the Windows game launcher.

    Windows Client

    Download the game via Steam.

    Install
    Steam Store

    Download the Mac game launcher.

    Mac Client

    Install the game to your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5.

    Starter Edition
    Complete Edition

    Install the game to your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X.

    Starter Edition
    Complete Edition

  5. Start Playing

    You're all set!

    If that seemed straightforward then this page has done it's job.

    The information on this site is aimed at helping streamline the process, and it lacks a lot of the more specific details and may be outdated or even incorrect in some cases. Please make sure to review the information on the official websites and product pages!


    Subscription Fees

    Final Fantasy XIV requires a monthly subscription fee to play on top of purchasing the game. When you first buy the Starter Edition or Complete Edition, you'll receive game time bundled with it.

    You can manage your account and subscription via the Mog Station.

    I would highly recommend adding an authenticator (One-Time Password) to your account as well for additional security.

    Steam players can even use their Steam Wallet to pay for subscription time.


    Expansions on Steam

    When you pre-order a new FFXIV expansion or buy a special edition on Steam you will receive a CD Key. This CD key has to be redeemed on the Mog Station to activate the purchase on your account.

    Open your Steam game library and locate Final Fantasy XIV. Right-click the game and select Mange > CD Keys.