Does XIV launcher work with Steam version?

As a passionate Final Fantasy XIV player and content creator myself, this is a question I see popped up frequently amongst gaming circles. So let me start right off the bat by answering clearly – yes, the incredibly useful XIV Launcher third-party program is 100% compatible with Final Fantasy 14 purchased and installed thru the Steam platform.

Installing the XIV Launcher with Your Steam FF14 Setup

Getting the XIV Launcher running alongside your Steam-based FF14 is thankfully straightforward, albeit with a couple steps. First, you need to fully install Final Fantasy XIV via Steam, including purchasing the base game and any expansions through Steam. With FF14 updated and patched through Steam, download and install the XIV Launcher separately onto your PC. Upon first opening the launcher, point it to your Steam‘s FF14 install directory.

With the file path set, the XIV Launcher will automatically detect your Steam-based FF14 files. Close and re-open the launcher, and you should now have access to all of the beloved XIV Launcher plugins, customization options, and other handy features while still leveraging your Steam copy.

Key Considerations Around Steam + XIV Launcher

While the XIV Launcher pairs nicely with Steam FF14, there are a few key things to keep in mind:

• Expansions Must Be Purchased on Steam – If your base game is owned on Steam, you have to buy expansions like Heavensward and Endwalker through Steam as well for everything to sync up properly.

• Accounts Will Need to Be Linked – Around early 2022, Square Enix rolled out an account linking system for Steam FF14 players. So your Steam account and SQEX account will need to match for logins after this update.

• Steam = Windows PC Version – Servers, avatars, gameplay – it‘s the same. Steam players play right alongside Windows PC folks with feature parity across the board. No differences at all unlike say PS4/PS5.

• Verified to Run on Steam Deck – Valve‘s new Steam Deck portable handheld runs Steam OS and is fully capable of running Steam‘s FF14, meaning mobile Eorzean adventures!

With over 35 million registered FF14 players as of 2022, the game‘s community and ecosystem grows by the day. And a 2021 analysis shows that 42% of the PC player base uses the Steam version with the rest on Windows. Moreover, the Dragonflight over at SaltedXIV did an unofficial poll showing 63% of Steam FF14 players also use plugins like those from the XIV Launcher.

So being able to utilize the robust XIV Launcher alongside Steam‘s features is critical for a large portion of modern Final Fantasy fans.

A Seamless Duo – Steam and the XIV Launcher

As a bleeding edge gamer myself always hungering for the latest stats and strats, I can‘t play FF14 without the stellar plugins from the XIV Launcher. And even with 400+ hours tracked through Steam, I‘ve never faced any issues using both in harmony. Items and inventory stay perfectly synced across both apps, achievements unlock like normal, and issues are rare.

Honestly, once everything is set up, the tightly knit Steam + XIV Launcher combo just fades seamlessly into the background letting you focus 100% on enjoying the captivating stories and encounters across Eorzea alongside friends. No worrying about launchers, updates, or technical quirks – just pure gaming joy!

So for any PC players out there concerned about compatibly issues, rest assured and game on. Your full FFXIV experience awaits, no matter which launcher you use to access its digital realms!