An MMO is a big commitment, especially one with a subscription model. If you’re not sure if Final Fantasy XIV is worth your hard-earned money, but you’re itching to give the game a try, then you’re in luck. There’s a free trial available, allowing you to play the game all the way up to level 60. This includes the base game, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and the first expansion, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward. So how do you get started?
Available platforms
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is currently on PlayStation 4, PC, and Mac. PlayStation 5 players can also access the game via PS4 backward compatibility.
Download the free trial on PC/Mac
For players on PC or Mac, you can download the free trial client. Click the Sign Up Now button, which takes you to a registration form. This creates a new Square Enix account that you’ll use when logging into the game. If you already have an account, you can go ahead and sign in. If you’re not sure whether your PC can run the game, check out the system requirements below.
Minimum System Requirements
- OS: Windows 8.1 64 bit, Windows 10 64 bit
- CPU: Intel Core i5 2.4GHz or higher
- Memory: 4GB or higher
- Free Disc Space: 60GB or more
- Graphics: NVIDIA Geforce GTX750 or higher, AMD Radeon R7 260X or higher
- Screen Resolution: 1280×720
- Internet: Broadband Internet connection
- Sound: DirectSound supported sound card
- DirectX Version: DirectX 11
Recommended System Requirements
- OS: Windows 8.1 64 bit, Windows 10 64 bit
- CPU: Intel Core i7 3GHz or higher
- Memory: 8GB or higher
- Free Disc Space: 60GB or more
- Graphics: NVIDIA Geforce GTX970 or higher, AMD Radeon RX 480 or higher
- Screen Resolution: 1920×1080
- Internet: Broadband Internet connection
- Sound: DirectSound supported sound card
- DirectX Version: DirectX 11
Download the free trial on the PlayStation Store
Alternatively, if you’re on PS4, you’ll find the free trial through the PlayStation Store. After searching for the Final Fantasy XIV free trial, you should see a Try Free Demo button on the page. Proceed to download the demo version of the game, which is the same as the free trial.
What can you do in the free trial?
You’re free to level as many jobs as you want, up to the level 60 cap. Final Fantasy XIV lets you play every job on a single character, so you don’t need to make alts just to try out something different. Play through the story, run dungeons and raids, unlock mounts, collect minions, and experience everything the base game and first expansion have to offer.
After getting to level 50 and unlocking the new locations for the first expansion, you can unlock three new jobs: dark knight, astrologian, and machinist. These three jobs scale down to level 30, but you’re allowed to continue playing through the story with them. Aside from chatting with other players in dungeons and raids, you can also join linkshells or chat channels.
What can’t you do in the free trial?
There are many restrictions. You’re limited to making one character per server, up to a maximum of eight characters. You’re not allowed to use certain chat options, like /shout and /yell for wide areas, or /tell for messaging other players directly. You can’t exceed a maximum of 300,000 Gil, which is Final Fantasy XIV’s in-game currency. You can’t trade with anyone or hire retainers to store your excess items. You’re not able to use the market board for the in-game item and gear purchases or the in-game mail delivery system.
You also can’t join free companies, which are server-wide guilds. While you can join linkshells, you won’t be able to create one yourself. And you’re, of course, capped at level 60 for each job you unlock.
As soon as you jump to the paid version of the game, these restrictions will go away. You’ll need to uninstall the free trial before accessing the full, paid game. You’re then able to log in with your same Square Enix account, continue on from where you left off, play through more story content, and level up your character to the latest level cap.
