A Final Fantasy 14 turntable now exists, and it’s the best gaming/audio collab of 2023
I’m not a gamer, but I want it because The Primals
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Gaming merch is big business, but a high-end turntable to showcase your love of the superlative and seminal MMO,Final Fantasy 14? Yes, yes, and of course yes.
A FFXIV-themed record player makes perfect sense, given the series of vinyl soundtracks released for the expansions (which TechRadar’sCat Bussell, to whom I defer on all gaming matters, owns). And that’s just for starters.
Why is aFinal Fantasy14 turntable the best gaming/audio collab of 2023? Because FFXIV’s soundtrack isn’t like other games. Unlike almost all of thebest MMO gameswe’ve tested, it’s very, very eclectic – and very highly rated. As well as your usual sweeping orchestral scores, you’ll find rock numbers, techno, even some rap.
Furthermore, the game has its own band, called The Primals, which is made up of both devs and composers, who record a lot of the music themselves. Ultimately, it’s a game with music at its very core. You could even say music is as important as theFinal 14’s best character according to fans, so a vinyl record player makes a lot of sense as a supporting product.
Add to this the fact that Final Fantasy fans havebuilt their own nightclubsand that aFFXIV Fender Strat already exists(as does awearable Final Fantasy speaker made by Panasonic, although that doesn’t do FFXIV’s soundtrack any justice) and I’m thoroughly glad this deck is now here – and that it’s a suitably expensive, high-end piece of audio kit.
Analysis: is adventuring not supposed to be glorious? I thought it was supposed to be glorious
Full marks if you called the Vath Deftarm quote above. Anyway, the official Final Fantasy XIV Direct Drive Turnable System is now available to view at theSquare Enix Store, and it costs $1,700, which is around £1,310 or AU$2,499 before any shipping or duties – but take note, you’ll have to wait until April 2024 to get it.
The Square Enix deck comes in a black finish, and is adorned with iconic shapes from the MMORPG, including symbols representing the Twelve and the meteor logo. Suitably glorious? I certainly think so. The SQ-1500 (for that is its full name) is a direct drive turntable with high-sensitivity tonearm. To simplify the playing of analog records, there’s a built-in phono stage too.
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Elsewhere, you’re getting an aluminum die-cast platter integrated with a special material consisting of ABS mixed with glass fiber to create a two-layer construction. The tonearm is a static-balance universal S-shape solution, which comes pre-fitted with what I can see is an Ortofon cartridge. When the tonearm reaches the end of the record, the Auto Lifter function (embedded in the base of the tonearm to prioritize sound quality) automatically raises too, thus preventing unnecessary wear on your valuable Distant Worlds vinyl or that stylus.
Will it reveal itself as one of thebest turntableswe’ve tested? Hard to say, but it is a suitably expensive deck, and one befitting FFXIX’s iconic soundscapes. Lead composer and sound director of Final Fantasy XIV and its expansions, Masayoshi Soken, (a cancer survivor who famously wroteTo the Edgefrom his sickbed before making a recovery) deserves a flagship turntable for his efforts.
So – let us be about it, hero…
Becky became Audio Editor at TechRadar in 2024, but joined the team in 2022 as Senior Staff Writer, focusing on all things hi-fi. Before this, she spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing and reviewing everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge high-end sound systems. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, Becky freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 22-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance starts with a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo and The Stage. When not writing, she can still be found throwing shapes in a dance studio, these days with varying degrees of success.
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