In the 80th Letter from the Producer LIVE, Final Fantasy XIV producer and director Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida took fans on a tour to show off the graphical update coming with Patch 7.0. For over an hour, stream viewers got an expansive sneak peek at what improved graphics will do for their overall experience.
The graphical improvements go beyond just high-quality grass. Characters, environments, materials, and more will receive polish they've never had before. Here is all that was covered regarding the graphical updates during the 80th FFXIV Live Letter.
Environments Will Be Less Static in FFXIV Patch 7.0
Since the return to FFXIV's Fan Festival in 2023, fans have known that plants and foliage are getting a significant makeover. Say goodbye to pixelated flowers and blades of grass. After the Live Letter, players know that it goes beyond looks. When characters move through tall grass and foliage in the graphical update, the greenery around them reacts to their footsteps rather than staying still. Beyond that, the weather will also affect environments more, thanks to higher-resolution textures and effects that look more natural when wet.
Mounts Will Tilt When Turning
Another significant change showcased is an improvement in mounts' movement. Instead of rotating on a fixed axis in the air, mounts will tilt when they turn while flying. While it may seem like a minor change, it adds a lot of realism to flight. These changes are only for some mounts since the tilt would seem unnatural in some cases; however, it should make the movement of the changed mounts more natural.
Environmental Texture Improvements
Screengrabs by Fanbyte via Square Enix
Throughout most of the in-game tour, it was easy to see how greatly the overall look of textures has improved. Most surfaces looked to have gotten some major reworks, from rock formations to cobblestone paths and forest floors. Beyond receiving higher-resolution textures, surfaces will be more prominently affected by the weather, such as wet cobblestone in the rain.
Shadows will also get some dynamic changes, while their overall quality will be improved. Players can also adjust how natural and soft shadows look in-game.
Characters and Materials are Getting Added Polish
The graphical update has given characters a lot of love, from faces to hair and gear. Character facial features will generally look higher quality, now including details like previously plain Lalafell's eyes having more clearly defined pupils. Stone textures aren't the only thing getting a weather-reacting facelift, as each character's skin will also now look shinier when wet. Metal elements and accents on gear will have a more realistic shine and more defined details.
DLSS, Super Resolution, and Two New Anti-aliasing Methods
Screengrabs by Fanbyte via Square Enix
Nvidia Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) and AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) are coming to FFXIV's platforms. These upscaling techniques improve performance by upscaling lower, less taxing resolutions, making the game's frames per second more stable now that the improved graphics require more from players' systems. Two new anti-aliasing methods, TSCMAA and TSCMAA + Jittering Camera, will also be added to the game.
Overall, the graphical update is proving to be a big deal — enough for every showcase to reveal all sorts of new visuals to get excited about. When Dawntrail launches in July, fans should expect to enter a world that's more polished in practically every way.
