This page is for the original 2000 version. For the 2013 re-release, see Final Fantasy VIII (2013). For the 2019 remaster, see Final Fantasy VIII Remastered.
Key points
- Has a different MIDI compared to the PS1 version of the game.
- Higher resolution 480p FMVs than the PlayStation version.[1]
- Unfavorable to the PlayStation version in areas: Out of combat movement is limited 8 directions as opposed to complete circular movement.[2]
- While all PlayStation version's menus run at 60 FPS, excluding main menu screens, the PC frame rate is capped at 30 FPS, 15 FPS during combat and FMVs making selection during battles sluggish.[3]
General information
- Qhimm Final Fantasy Mod Forums
Availability
| Source |
DRM |
Notes |
Keys |
OS |
| Retail |
|
DRM: Simple disc check, no physical copy protection. |
|
|
- A demo is available here
Essential improvements
Patches
- The 1.2 patch set fixes various bugs in the game:
- FF8SqeaNVPatch.zip: 1.2 patch for Nvidia GeForce users.
- FF8SqeaPatch.zip: 1.2 patch for other users.
- FF8_Yamaha_Fix.zip: Extra patch to fix a bug when using DirectX 7 only with the Yamaha software synthesizer.
- Replaces the default MIDI music with the original PlayStation version music or optionally other music as well.[4]
Aali's custom driver
- See the corresponding section in Final Fantasy VII.
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
Save game data location
Video
- Supported resolutions: 320x240x16 pillarboxed in 640x460x16, and 640x460x16.
Input
Controller configuration.
Audio
| Audio feature |
State |
Notes |
| Separate volume controls |
|
|
| Surround sound |
|
|
| Subtitles |
|
|
| Closed captions |
|
|
| Mute on focus lost |
|
Game pauses on focus lost, MIDI music and opening logo FMV do not. |
| EAX support |
|
EAX 2[5] |
| Royalty free audio |
|
|
Localizations
| Language |
UI |
Audio |
Sub |
Notes |
| English |
|
|
|
|
| Japanese |
|
|
|
Japan only. |
| Polish |
|
|
|
Fan translation, download. |
Issues fixed
Running from an ISO or another drive
- By default the game uses the first physical CD-ROM drive location for CD checks. If you wish to use another drive (common when using an ISO), edit the registry:
- Go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Square Soft, Inc\FINAL FANTASY VIII\1.00\DataDrive
- If that doesn't exist go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Square Soft, Inc\FINAL FANTASY VIII\1.00\DataDrive
- Change its value to the drive letter that the .ISO occupies(usually E or F), and relaunch the game.
8-bit paletted textures fix
- When attempting to run FF8 PC on a modern system, the game's launcher will fail on video cards lacking 8-bit texture support. This causes the game to use textures that are of a lower resolution. To fix this, as well as allow the game to run at higher resolutions, download the custom launcher that may be found here.
Graphical issues
- If you have graphical issues or artifacts, use Aali's custom driver.
Other information
API
| Executable |
32-bit |
64-bit |
Notes |
| Windows |
|
|
|
Middleware
System requirements
| Windows |
|
Minimum |
Recommended |
| Operating system (OS) |
95, 98 | |
| Processor (CPU) |
Intel Pentium 200 MHz[6]
Intel Pentium II 266 MHz[7] |
Intel Pentium II 266 MHz |
| System memory (RAM) |
32 MB |
64 MB |
| Hard disk drive (HDD) |
300 MB |
600 MB |
| Video card (GPU) |
4 MB[7]/8 MB[6] of VRAM
DirectX 6.1 compatible
| 16 MB[6] of VRAM |
| Sound (audio device) |
DirectSound-compatible | |
| Other |
DirectMusic-compatible Software Synthesizer
8X CD-ROM | |
Notes
References
