Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s UK Physical Launch Sales Down Almost 30% Compared To Remake

During the opening week, the UK Physical launch sales of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth have fallen short by almost 30% compared to the remake that came out years ago. The tidbit—from the GFK data figures— was shared by GamesIndustry head Christopher Dring on Twitter. Both titles were well received upon release, so something must have caused the major difference to happen; Chris clarifies that the COVID lockdown is the major culprit.

In terms of UK boxed sales, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's opening week is down nearly 30% over the launch of the previous game. The first game came out during the peak of COVID lockdowns (gfk figures). Digital data arrives later in the week.

— Christopher Dring (@Chris_Dring) March 4, 2024

The remake came out during the peak of COVID lockdowns, which caused the physical sales of the entry to inflate to a massive extent. However, the industry has simmered down since then and things have largely returned to normal. The increase in the sales of digital games over the past few years is also a major possibility behind the near 30% decline.

The influx of PlayStation 4 consoles in the market may have also caused the remake to sell more physical copies. Additionally, it is possible that the physical sales of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth have performed much better in other parts of the globe. 

Related Reads:

• Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Performance Mode Issues About To Be Fixed In New Patch.
• Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Development Was Smooth Because Many FF7 Remake Devs Stuck Around.
• Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Platinum Trophy Can Take Up To 200 Hours To Attain.

However, that is not to say the RPG has sold poorly overall. Digital sales could make a night-and-day difference in the overall figure, which will allegedly arrive later in the week. the AAA entry has overall stood out to be one of the most prominent releases this year.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth came out on February 29, 2024, for the PlayStation 5 exclusively. eXputer’s Syed Hamid Ali Shah rated the entry with a remarkable 4/5 in his review, praising the entry for providing a solid narrative and fun gameplay.