At the time of release, the game was notable for its lack of a release for Microsoft Windows, which had been granted to both the previous titles Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII; this marked the end of Squaresoft's support for the Microsoft Windows platform.
However, on January 1, 2016, Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy IX would be coming to Microsoft Windows, Android, and iOS, and that the game would feature high-definition graphics, achievements, an auto-save mode, and a high-speed mode. The Steam page went live on January 6, 2016, with an Early 2016 release date. A trailer was released on January 8, 2016, that provided samples of gameplay and cinematics. On January 21, 2016, the Steam store page for Final Fantasy IX was changed to "Coming soon", although "Early 2016" continued to be listed on the right-hand side; this was corrected and switched back the following day, January 22, 2016.
On February 9, 2016, Final Fantasy IX was released on iOS and Android, with the Android version being named Final Fantasy IX for Android. Final Fantasy IX was also released on Steam for Microsoft Windows on April 14, 2016.
The version of the game offered through Steam, the PlayStation Store, and the App Store include very significant changes to the base game:
Character models are now high-definition
More comprehensive Config menu in-game
The dialogue used in-game has been changed
"Walk" is now the default movement, but can be toggled to "Run" in the Config menu
/ is now for talk/action, while / is for cancelling; this can be changed in the Config menu
Tutorials on ATB combat and button assignment are given at the start of the game
Three separate boosters can be enabled to make the game easier; these cannot be disabled once enabled
Cloud saving of save files is now supported on Steam
The player can exit to the main menu from within the game
There is a Continue system that allows the player to replay their most recent save from the last screen they entered.
Speech bubbles exist for both NPCs that can talk and NPCs that you can challenge to a Tetra Master game
The save system is based on the Final Fantasy VII save system for Steam and PlayStation 4, where 10 instances of PlayStation-style save slots are available
Certain sound effects have been removed
Specific differences between Steam and PlayStation releases[ | ]
The version of the game offered through Steam includes specific changes of its own to the base game:
Full support for the Xbox 360 Wired Controller and Xbox One Wireless Controller, including full D-Pad and Vibration support on both.
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Steam
