One of the big announcements made during PlayStation's February 2021 edition of State of Play (maybe the only surprise) was Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. As well as new DLC, it adds a whole raft of additions for the PlayStation 5 when released this summer.

Here we explain what's new and when you can expect it to arrive.

What is Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade?

Final Fantasy VII Remake was released for PlayStation 4 in April 2020 after many years of development. It is, essentially, a from-the-ground-up remake of one of the best Final Fantasy games around - well, part of one the best anyway.

That's because the release represents about a third of the story of the 1997 original - future parts are expected to be released as new chapters down the line.

In the meantime, however, Square Enix will release Final Fantasy Remake Intergrade, a version of the game significantly upgraded for PS5 (a remaster of the remake, if you like). It'll also add a whole new chapter starring fan favourite character Yuffie, which takes place concurrently with the goings-on in the main game.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade release date

The PS5 version of the game will be released on 10 June 2021.

It will be released as a standalone PS5 game, which will include the Yuffie DLC, but there's a bonus for all owners of the PS4 edition - it'll be a free upgrade.

That means you can buy the PS4 version with whatever discounts are currently available, then simple add the Yuffie DLC for a small extra fee later. It should save you money in the long run.

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE (PS4)

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Importantly, your save games from PS4 version will carry over to the PS5 edition.

Changes coming to Final Fantasy VII Remake for PlayStation 5

As well as the all-new Yuffie story, the PS5 will get some significant upgrades. Here's what you can expect.

Graphics optimisation

You will get a choice between a 4K graphics optimisation mode or 60fps in a performance mode. We're not yet sure whether the latter will be locked to a lower resolution or run dynamically.

Fog effects

Fog effects will be ramped up, to give the game more atmosphere.

Lighting

It seems that ray tracing could be implemented to lend the lighting more realism, including with reflections.

Normal (Classic) difficulty mode

A Normal (Classic) difficulty will be selectable from the menu screen, allowing you to issue commands while combat is run automatically in a higher difficulty setting than before.

Loading times

This is a biggy. The loading times will be greatly reduced thanks to the SSD and PS5 loading optimisations.

Photo mode

Considering how beautiful the game is, a photo mode is very welcome.