FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION: Complete Guide

A complete guide to FFXV on PC: the warp-heavy combat system, leveling and AP, the open world and hunts, chapter pacing and what's missable (almost nothing), the included DLC episodes, and PC-specific settings and mods.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final WINDOWS EDITION build (DLSS update, December 2018). Online content functions ended on 24 June 2020. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

1. Explore before Chapter 9. Chapters 1–8 are the open world. Chapter 9 onward is linear. You can return to the open world later through Umbra (see below), so you won't lose anything, but the early open world is the best place to level.
2. EXP is banked until you rest. Earned EXP only counts when you camp or stay at a hotel or caravan. Hotels apply EXP multipliers (pricier rooms give bigger ones), and camping gives you Ignis's meal buffs.
3. Warp-strike to open fights. Warp-strikes deal more damage the farther you travel. Point-warp to a high spot to recover HP and MP quickly.
4. Blindsides and Link Strikes. Attacking from behind (Blindside) triggers partner Link Strikes for big damage. Move behind enemies whenever you can.
5. Magic is crafted, and it hurts your friends. Collect elemental energy from deposits, craft Elemancy flasks, and mind friendly fire. It burns your party too.
6. Parry and Defend. Hold defend to dodge automatically (it costs MP). Parry when the prompt shows for counter damage and Link Strikes.
7. Collect the Royal Arms. There are 13 ancestral weapons. They drain your HP to use, but they hit hard and fill the Armiger gauge.
8. Unlock chocobos early. Finishing the Deadeye hunt in Chapter 3 lets you rent chocobos at Wiz Chocobo Post. It's much faster travel off-road.
9. The WINDOWS EDITION includes the Royal Edition content: expanded Insomnia City Ruins, first-person mode, Armiger Unleashed, the Royal Cruiser (with new fishing spots and recipes) and the Regalia Type-D off-road quest.

Combat System

Core actions

Weapons

• Swords, Greatswords, Polearms, Daggers, Firearms, Shields, Machinery and the Royal Arms.
• Engine Blade / Ultima Blade (upgraded late) is a strong all-rounder.
• Machinery (Drain Bow, Circular Saw, Bioblaster) is powerful mid-game.
• Royal Arms drain HP with each use but hit very hard and fill the Armiger quickly.

Ascension Grid (AP)

AP comes from leveling, hunts, quests, and some Ascension nodes that give AP for actions like driving or camping. Early priorities:

1. Combat grid: Warp-strike and Blindside improvements, Link Strike upgrades.
2. Teamwork: extra Tech bar segments.
3. Recovery: HP and MP regeneration, faster recovery from Danger status.
4. Exploration and Magic: as you need them.

Party Skills

Each companion has a hobby that levels up and gives passive benefits:

Open World: Hunts, Dungeons and Travel

• Hunts: take them at diners and outposts. Hunter rank unlocks tougher bounties with big rewards.
• Dungeons: Balouve Mines, Keycatrich Trench, Crestholm Channels, Costlemark Tower, Steyliff Grove and the Pitioss Ruins (a notorious platforming dungeon with no combat) are the highlights.
• Royal Tombs: hold the Royal Arms. Some are behind main-story progress or dungeons.
• The Regalia: your car. Upgrade parts, pick music, and unlock Regalia Type-D (Royal Edition off-road) and, in the post-game, Regalia Type-F, which flies.
• Chocobos: unlocked through the Deadeye hunt in Chapter 3.

Chapter Pacing and Missables

Missables (not many)

• Umbra (from the linear chapters on) lets you travel back to the open world at any time, so nearly everything stays available.
• Timed quests and online Player Treasure were online features that ended on 24 June 2020.
• Story-specific moments (for example, being with a particular party member at a particular time) can't be replayed without a new game.
• Chapter 13 has an alternate route (playing as Gladiolus) added in updates, and it's included in the WINDOWS EDITION.

Included DLC

PC Settings and Mods

• DLSS: added in December 2018 on supported NVIDIA cards. It needs the output resolution set to 3840x2160 (4K) and Anti-Aliasing set to DLSS in custom graphics settings.
• NVIDIA GameWorks effects (HairWorks, Turf, etc.) are demanding. Turn them off first if performance is poor.
• Frame rate: use the in-game frame rate limit to match your monitor. A steady cap feels smoother than an uncapped, fluctuating framerate in the open world.
• Steam Workshop mods: official mod support lets you download costumes (the Classic Style set for Noctis, Ignis, Gladiolus and Prompto) and more.
• First-person mode: a novelty, but great for exploring Insomnia.
• Removed online options: per the Steam store page, the Online Content menu, changing Noctis's appearance, other players' avatar shadows, Player Photo and Player/Official Treasure were removed on 24 June 2020. Cross-play with the Origin version also ended.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Not resting for too long. Unbanked EXP is useless, and staying awake too long builds fatigue.
• Throwing magic into melee. Friendly fire is real. Throw at range or before your party closes in.
• Using Royal Arms when your HP is low. They drain HP on every swing.
• Leaving hunts for later. They're the best AP and gil source early on.
• Driving everywhere manually. Use auto-drive and fast travel. Save manual driving for exploring.
• Forgetting Ignis's recipe buffs. A good meal can double the effect of a hard hunt.

Advanced Tips

• Warp-strike damage scales with distance. Open every fight by warping from as far away as you can.
• Point-warp recovery: when you're in Danger, point-warp to a high spot to recover HP and MP fast.
• Elemancy with catalysts: adding items to spells gives bonus effects (such as Expericast for EXP gains, or Healcast). Plan crafting around them.
• Exploit weaknesses: use the Libra skill to scan enemies. Swapping weapon types to their weakness speeds up hunts.
• Level cap is 120. The fastest late-game EXP comes from hard hunts and dungeons, banked at the best hotel.
• Armiger Unleashed can wipe late-game bosses if you save the full gauge for them.

FAQ

What's included in the WINDOWS EDITION? The main game with all updates (Chapter 13 alternate route, Royal Edition content), plus Episodes Gladiolus, Prompto and Ignis, Comrades, and the Booster and Holiday Packs+.

Is anything permanently missable? Almost nothing. Umbra lets you return to the open world after the linear chapters, and post-game unlocks extra content.

Why is my EXP not going up? EXP only counts when you rest at a camp, hotel or caravan.

How do I get chocobos? Complete the Deadeye hunt in Chapter 3, then rent them at Wiz Chocobo Post.

Is Episode Ardyn included? No. It's sold separately.

Do mods work? Yes. Official Steam Workshop support includes costume mods like the Classic Style set.

Sources

• Steam store: FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION
• Steam news: December 2018 update (DLSS)
• Steam news: Classic Style costume set
• Steam news: FINAL FANTASY XV Collaborations (2018)