Which is the best version of Final Fantasy Tactics? The Ivalice Chronicles, War of the Lions, and PS1 Compared

With the recent launch of Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles, I've put together a feature covering all versions of Final Fantasy Tactics from the game's debut on the original PlayStation to its most-recent release on modern systems. This includes the PSP version, mobile ports, PS1 classic, and much more. While I have done many comparisons over the last few months covering a single game across different consoles and PC platforms, today's Final Fantasy Tactics feature is more in line with the Final Fantasy IX 25th anniversary feature and Chrono Trigger ones spanning console generations.

My hope with this feature is that I help you find the perfect version of Final Fantasy Tactics for your needs, but also to explain the differences between platforms and versions over the years. With Square Enix releases, there are always going to be differences with each new version, and it has been interesting to discover what version and what platform delivers the best experience for RPGs like this. 

Final Fantasy Tactics release timeline

Before getting to the versions and other differences, Final Fantasy Tactics has had quite the history with ports and re-releases across different portable platforms leading into its newest release from this year across all modern consoles and PC platforms. 

June 1997: Final Fantasy Tactics releases on PlayStation in Japan.
January 1998: Final Fantasy Tactics releases on PlayStation in North America. This version was never released in PAL regions.
May 2007: Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, a remake of the original featuring new content and a new localization, releases in Japan on the PlayStation Portable.
October 2007: Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions releases in the West.
May 2009: Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1) was released on the PlayStation Store as a PS One Classic in Japan.
September 2009: Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1) was released on the PlayStation Store as a PS One Classic in North America.
March 2011: Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions was released as a downloadable title for PSP on the PlayStation Network in Japan.
July 2011: Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions was released as a downloadable title for PSP on the PlayStation Network in North America and Europe.
August 2011: Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions gets an iOS version sold as an iPhone and iPad version separately. This version features touchscreen controls and higher-resolution visuals with none of the technical issues that plagued the PSP version.
February 2013: Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions releases on Android in Japan.
June 2015: Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions is released outside Japan on Android.
September 2025: Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles releases worldwide for PS5, PS4, Switch 2, Switch, Xbox, and PC platforms.

Final Fantasy Tactics feature differences across platforms

With Final Fantasy Tactics, there are three main versions of the game: the original PS1 release, The War of the Lions on PSP, and The Ivalice Chronicles (the modern release). Final Fantasy Tactics on PS1 was the original release, and while many experienced it like this, it suffered from a lacking translation compared to future releases. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions for PSP featured a fantastic new localization alongside enhanced visuals and new content through characters and classes, added cut-scenes, and other adjustments. This version sadly suffered from slowdown and other technical issues like lower quality music. 

The mobile version of The War of the Lions uses the PSP release as a base, but it has only touchscreen options for controlling the game. Usually, this would be a negative, but The War of the Lions' mobile version has fantastic touchcreen controls. The mobile release also has none of the technical issues the PSP version has when played on PSP or PS Vita. 

Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles aims to be the definitive version of Final Fantasy Tactics, but it lacks The War of the Lions content. The Ivalice Chronicles brings in a plethora of new features across quality of life improvements, difficulty options, new voice acting, a new UI, new conversations in-battle, a tactical view, additional lore, the ability to skip random battles, the ability to skip cut-scenes, a much snappier UI overall, and much more. It also includes the Sound Novels available in all language versions for the first time.

Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles also includes a "Classic" option to experience a faithful representation of the original Final Fantasy Tactics with its original aesthetic and classic UI, but featuring the translation from The War of the Lions and with autosave. This version also has the ability to skip cut-scenes (not all). While I appreciate the inclusion of "Classic" mode as an option in this package, the lack of a fast forward mode for combat makes it feel like a missed opportunity. I understand not including the new difficulty options and other content, but if you are including autosave, why not include fast forwarding? It would have made this actually worth revisiting for future playthroughs. 

With the version and feature differences out of the way, it is also worth considering what versions of the game are actually available to buy now. Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles is available on PS5, PS4, Switch, Switch 2, PC, and Xbox Series X|S. This is the only version of the game available on modern consoles and PC. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions is only available on mobile (iPhone, iPad, and Android) or if you are still able to buy it on the PS Vita. Final Fantasy Tactics' original release is only available in specific regions the same way on PS Vita or PS3 through the old storefront.

Note: For the comparison images above, a 4K capture card was used for PS5, PS4, Switch 2 docked, and Switch 1 docked. The handheld Switch and Switch 2 images are via the system capture. The Steam Deck and ROG Ally images are via Steam's uncompressed screenshot capture and the iPad version is via the system screenshot functionality. The images have been resized to showcase differences.

Final Fantasy Tactics visuals and performance differences across PS1, PSP, PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, PC, mobile, and more

With so many platforms and different versions, there is a lot to cover here. The PS1 original still has a timeless look, but the PSP version's aesthetic with new cut-scenes and other additions felt a lot better when it was released. The PSP version, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, is sadly quite sluggish compared to the original with slowdowns for certain animations. This was thankfully addressed in the iOS release. The iOS release is notable because it features high resolution sprites and proper high resolution display support with additional camera control and zoom options. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions looks excellent on my iPad Pro screen as an example, and while it properly scales on iPhone, the aspect ratio means you will have a lot of wasted space on the screen when playing on iPhone or Android widescreen devices. The mobile version is definitely best played on iPad.

This brings us to Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles. Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles is capped at 60fps on all platforms, but the output resolution varies depending on the console. The Switch and Switch 2 versions appear to look similar docked and handheld with the Switch 2 versions rendering at a higher resolution than Switch in both modes. It is worth noting that the Switch and Switch 2 versions do not look as good as they should when played on a 1440p or 4K screen with the Switch 1 version looking subnative even on a 1080p display. The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles look crisp and have no issues on 4K and 1440p displays. Even the PS4 version played on my PS5 looks crisp like the PS5 version. 

Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles on PC can scale up and down depending on the device and display. The Steam Deck even docked delivers a better experience than Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles Nintendo Switch 2 Edition as an example. For handheld play, Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles on Switch and the Switch 2 Edition both suffer from some hitching or performance issues in the world map while moving the cursor. There are no major issues during actual gameplay and story moments thankfully.

Final Fantasy Tactics load times across Switch 2, PS5, PC, Xbox, PSP, PS1, PS4, and Switch

For testing Final Fantasy Tactics' load times across platforms, I measured the initial load from the dashboard to the title screen, loading a save, loading a story scene, and loading a battle, and also the time taken to change the game version. Since classic mode is a different game essentially, I saved the PS1 comparison for that and did a separate test for the classic mode on the same platforms. Since classic mode doesn't really have much loading time once you get in, I only measured the time taken to get into the classic mode title screen and loading a save there.

 I used the digital version of Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles installed to the internal storage on Switch 2, SD card on Switch OLED, internal storage on Xbox Series X, internal console storage on PS5, an external drive on PS5 with the PS4 version installed to that, the Steam version on Steam Deck OLED's internal SSD, the Steam version on the ROG Ally internal SSD, the PS1 version installed on PS Vita, the PSP version of Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions installed on PS Vita, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions on iPhone 15 Pro, and Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions on iPad Pro (2020).

Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles and The War of the Lions load times tested

Note: All the load times above are in seconds. Dash to title is loading from the dashboard to the game's title screen. Version represents loading a specific game version from the title screen. Save represents loading into a specific save file. Story represents loading a story scene. Battle represents loading a battle until you have control of the cursor. *Xbox load time depends on save sync status given how variable it is on the platform. 

Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles Classic Mode and PS1 load times tested

Note: All the load times above are in seconds.For dashboard to title, I've included the time to load the title screen and then load the Classic mode title screen for The Ivalice Chronicles testing. *Xbox load time depends on save sync status given how variable it is on the platform. 

Which version of Final Fantasy Tactics is the best?

I'm approaching which version of Final Fantasy Tactics I consider the best for both newcomers and for those who want to know the best version of each of the three main editions of Final Fantasy Tactics. For newcomers, Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles is absolutely the best version with its Enhanced mode featuring voice acting, difficulty options, modern UI, the tactical view (overhead), speed up options, and more. This is also the version available on current consoles and PC easily making it the most-accessible version of Final Fantasy Tactics. While the lack of some content from The War of the Lions is unfortunate, everything else added here more than makes up for it as far as I'm concerned.

If you want to just know the best version of the three main editions of Final Fantasy Tactics, the answer is simple. The PS1 release itself is the only way to play that version and those who experienced it initially through the PS1 version would've definitely liked an option to play classic mode in The Ivalice Chronicles with the original translation. Maybe it can be added in a patch later, but right now, classic mode only features The War of the Lions localization.

 For Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, the mobile version on a modern iOS or Android device is a massively improved experience compared to the PSP version. As for Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles, I would say the PC version (DRM issues aside) alongside the PS5 version deliver the best experience for playing on TV or a monitor. For portable play, the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch 2 deliver the best experience considering they offer much better battery life than the ROG Ally. The PS4 and Switch 1 versions, while not bad, are the worst versions of Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles for load times (PS4) or visuals (Switch 1 on TV, but handheld is fine). 

Which version of Final Fantasy Tactics should you buy today?

It has been interesting to revisit Final Fantasy Tactics across all its re-releases and platforms in the last few weeks for this feature. I'm glad that Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicle on current platforms is great across the board for its enhanced version, but if you're curious about what I think about the rest, can find my thoughts on each platform below:

• Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles on Switch and Switch 2: Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles on Switch includes a free upgrade to the Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. With this version, you can play handheld or docked and save data syncs between the Switch and Switch 2 versions. Both Switch versions suffer from minor performance issues in the world map though. If you want to own the game physically, it is available as a proper physical game card on Switch, but not Switch 2. You can upgrade for free to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition though. I recommend this on Switch 2 if you only play handheld and can tolerate minor performance issues.
• Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles on Steam: The Steam release of Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles plays perfectly on PC and Steam Deck out of the box. It also supports Steam Achievements. One thing to keep in mind is that the DRM implementation treats both the Enhanced (Ivalice Chronicles) and Classic versions as two different games through the game's launcher. You might run into issues launching either of them offline for the first time. Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles is also capped at 60fps on PC and sometimes has issues loading into Classic mode with different refresh rates. I ran into these issues in the last week when retesting the game. Other than that, the Steam version is great. 
• Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles on Xbox: Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles on Xbox Series X|S has Quick Resume support which is great for a game like this, but it surprisingly is not a Play Anywhere title like Square Enix's other recent Xbox platform releases. It also has achievement support. I hope Play Anywhere support is added in the future.
• Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles on PS5 and PS4: If you want to play on your TV, care about trophy support, and don't care about portable play (unless you stream to a PlayStation Portal or phone which is not a native experience), this is the version to get. It has the fastest load times in-game across all platforms as another point of comparison. The PS5 version is the only other proper physical release for Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles. There is no PS4 physical release in the West, but it is available in Japan.
• Final Fantasy Tactics on PS1: The original release playable on PS1 and also digitally on PS Vita and PS3 in North America and Japan. If you want the absolute original experience, this is the one to get, but it is worth looking into what QOL mods are available for it.
• Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions on PSP: This version is only available on PS Vita as a PSP classic, and the only reason to buy this is if you are not willing to play The War of the Lions on mobile. The only thing this offers over mobile is controller support, but it is lacking in every other way compared to the mobile release. I don't recommend this on its own given how sluggish it feels. 
• Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions on mobile: The mobile versions have none of the performance issues on PSP and they also feature higher-resolution display support with the sprites looking fantastic in addition to more camera and zoom options during battles. A few things to keep in mind with this release are that there is no controller support and the iOS version is a separate purchase for iPhone and iPad compared to most of Square Enix's other releases on iOS that are a universal single purchase. The touchscreen controls are fantastic though, and this remains the best version of War of the Lions.

What I want in Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles updates

After covering all the versions, platforms, and differences for Final Fantasy Tactics, I still want to see a few things added to Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles so that it can be even easier to recommend. Nothing has been announced for potential updates, but Square Enix isn't new to randomly updating older games with new features or fixes a year later as we have seen with Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven's 1.1.0 update or even Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition's big patch that fixed most issues.

With Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles, I hope to see the fast-forward feature improved with more speed up options, the ability to have it toggled on rather than holding the button, and also for it to be added to the Classic mode. Beyond that, I would love to see support for higher refresh rates on PC and higher resolution on Switch 2 when played docked. I would also like to see Play Anywhere support added to the Xbox version for those who play on Xbox Series consoles and PC devices and handhelds. Aside from those things, I'm very happy with Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles for its Enhanced mode. It is definitely my favorite way to experience Final Fantasy Tactics today.

Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles is now available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam). You can read Scott's review of it here, my handheld comparison here, and all our guides for the game here.