On Monday, Feb. 5, Square Enix revealed details of the Final Fantasy XIV Xbox Series X|S open beta test, which begins Wednesday, Feb. 21. This test will be the first chance for Xbox players to get their hands on FFXIV and experience the expansive free trial for themselves.
There’s a few steps to follow before you can dive into FFXIV on your Xbox, including some online settings that may need tweaking. Additionally, there’s some pretty big restrictions on who can join the open beta, so you’ll need to make sure you’re not unwittingly making a mistake by signing up for it. Here’s how to join the FFXIV Xbox Series X|S open beta test.
How to join the FFXIV Xbox Series X|S open beta test
Check your settings
First you’ll need to double check your Xbox’s online settings, especially if you haven't played online games on your Xbox Series X or S before. To do this, access the Xbox settings menu and navigate to your account. In the “Privacy & online safety” section, select “Xbox privacy” option, then “View details & customize,” and finally “Communication & Multiplayer.”
These are the settings you need
- On “You can join multiplayer games," set to Allow
- For "You can join cross-network play," set to Allow
- "Others can communicate with voice, text, or invites," set to Everybody
- "You can communicate outside of Xbox with voice & text," set to Everybody
Next go back to the “View details & customize” menu and select “Game content” and change the "You can see and upload community creations" to Everybody.
Download the game
The next step is to download the game. From your Xbox Series X|S, navigate to the Microsoft Store and search for Final Fantasy XIV. Select and download he FFXIV Free Trial onto your Xbox Series X|S. Follow the installation instructions and start playing.
Create a fresh Square Enix account
You’ll also need a Square Enix account to play Final Fantasy XIV. The creation process should be linked within the installation, but you may need to use your PC or other devices to finish or confirm the process. Players who already have the Free Trial version for a different platform or a FFXIV license registered to their Square Enix account will be unable to participate in the open beta test. You’ll also need to link your Microsoft account and Square Enix account. As a result, it's not recommended you attempt to take part in the beta if you don’t meet the criteria.
Restrictions on the FFXIV Xbox Series X|S open beta
There’s some restrictions around who can access the FFXIV open beta for Xbox Series X|S. Mainly, if you’ve already played the Free Trial before, or have an existing FFXIV account. Because playing on Xbox Series X|S requires you to link your Microsoft to your Square Enix account, and you’ll be unable to unlink the accounts once linked, playing in the open while already having an active FFXIV account may lead to you being unable to continue playing on Xbox in the future.
