Final Fantasy 14 might not be on the Switch 2 just yet, but fans of the iconic Square Enix MMO have already brought it to Nintendo's best handheld console: the 2DS/3DS

Final Fantasy 14
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Final Fantasy 14 is available on most consoles and PC, aside from the Switch 2 – but that's all right, because the MMO's community has figured out how to play it on an arguably superior Nintendo handheld console instead… the 3DS.

Yes, you read that right – but no, it isn't technically an "official" way of playing the Square Enix gem. Reddit user "Kragwulf" is the mastermind behind a viral post showing off their Warrior of Light posing on… their 2DS XL. "I have done it," they write. "This may possibly be the WORST way to play FFXIV ever made possible." The bottom screen of the console highlights a massive home button as well as L3 and R3 control buttons.

How did Kragwulf pull it off, though? A comment from the poster outlines their process step by step, from how to "hack your 2DS/3DS" to how to download Moonlight – the app needed to stream your game from your PC to your handheld (one that notably works on the PlayStation Vita as well). After that, it's just a matter of "connect and play," as Kragwulf puts it. The whole situation sounds pretty nifty, if I do say so myself.

ffxiv from r/ffxiv/comments/1ny81dr/i_have_done_it_this_may_possibly_be_the_worst_way

By treating your 3DS (or 2DS, if you prefer it like Kragwulf seemingly does) "as a second screen, you not only get accurate resolution and refresh rate, but you can also set the virtual (3DS/2DS) screen as your primary and disable your main monitor." Your actual monitor will then shut off when your console connects, and vice versa: "Windows will detect when the 2DS/3DS disconnects from Apollo and treat it like a screen being unplugged."

I don't know about you guys, but I'm very tempted to give this a try – especially now, before Final Fantasy 14 drops on the Switch 2, as director Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida previously said Square Enix is having talks with Nintendo about the possibility of a new port and is "putting in our best efforts to ensure that this happens." Why wait for that when we can boot up the MMO on the oh-so-portable 3DS instead? Just saying.

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Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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