Final Fantasy XIII (2009): runs on Windows 11, Mac, Linux, Steam Deck?

Windows 11✓ with 3 fixes
Steam Deck✓ Playable
Mac✓ no Mac version, runs through CrossOver
Linux✓ Proton Gold

Gamicality score 70 / 100

Playability today ★★★★★ 3.5

Runs today4.5 / 5
Design today2.5 / 5
See the checks

Steam user reviews Mostly Positive

17,930 reviews75% positive
Steam store page

Get it on Steam

Released: 2009
Developer: Square Enix
Genre: RPG
Time to beat: About 48 hours for the main story HowLongToBeat
Runs on: Windows, Linux, Steam Deck
Last checked: October 31, 2026

Does Final Fantasy XIII run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11	✓Runs with a fix. See the steps below. Source
Mac (Apple Silicon)	✓No Mac version is sold. Plays on a Mac through CrossOver or Parallels (AppleGamingWiki).
Linux	✓Through Proton. ProtonDB: Gold, runs perfectly after tweaks. Source
Steam Deck	✓Playable, as rated by Valve. May need some setup. Source

Played it lately? Press Works for me or Doesn’t work on your platform, so the next player knows. One click, no account. How we check where it runs

How to get Final Fantasy XIII running today

What you need

Required FF13NovaFixFixes frame pacing, uncaps the frame rate, fixes HUD and UI glitches above 720p and fixes menu controller problems. Download d3d9.dll from the latest release.
Required Nova Chrysalia mod loaderApplies the 4 GB patch the NovaFix author recommends. It is downloaded from the modding team's Discord server, so a Discord account is needed. After one launch through it, it is no longer required.

Steps

Open a step for the full walkthrough.

To prevent crashes, apply the 4 GB patch by launching the game once through the Nova Chrysalia mod loader, as the FF13NovaFix README advises.
1. If a 4 GB patch is already installed, leave it as is and skip this step.
2. Do not use other 4 GB patch tools with NovaFix. Its README warns they force FF13Fix or trigger Steam DRM.
3. In Steam, right-click the game > Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files, so the files are clean.
4. Start the game from Steam once, close it at the title screen, then download Nova Chrysalia.zip from the announcements channel of the modding team's Discord server.
5. Extract it and open NovaChrysalia.exe.
6. In the Game Launcher tab, click Browse and pick the FINAL FANTASY XIII folder (in Steam, right-click the game > Manage > Browse local files shows where it is).
7. Select Final Fantasy XIII in the first row and click Launch Game. Unpacking the game data is only needed for other mods.
Install FF13NovaFix, which removes the stutter-causing frame pacer, uncaps the frame rate and fixes HUD glitches above 720p and menu controller problems (PCGamingWiki).
1. No mod manager is needed for this step.
2. Do not combine it with FF13Fix. If FF13Fix is installed, overwrite its d3d9.dll with the NovaFix one.
3. In Steam, right-click the game > Manage > Browse local files, then open white_data\prog\win\bin.
4. Copy d3d9.dll from the latest NovaFix release next to ffxiiiimg.exe.
5. Start the game. The launcher's settings are also available in the in-game menu.
6. Only the latest Steam build is supported.
If the right stick does not move the camera or buttons are mapped wrongly, turn on Steam Input for the game (PCGamingWiki).
1. In Steam, right-click the game > Properties > Controller.
2. Set the override for the game to enable Steam Input.
3. Start the game and test the camera with the right stick.

Synopsis

A Japanese role-playing game about a group of strangers branded as enemies of a floating world called Cocoon and forced on the run. You guide them through a heavily story-driven journey and fight in fast menu-based battles, where you switch your party between role setups called Paradigms on the fly.

What people say

Critics at release admired the visuals and the quick, strategic Paradigm battle system, but faulted the long run of narrow corridors, the slow tutorial-like opening and the late arrival of open areas. The 2014 PC port drew mixed reviews, mainly for its low fixed resolution and performance problems. Players today are kinder to its linear structure, and many say the story and battles pay off after the first chapters, yet complaints about missing exploration, a difficulty spike late in the game and a port that needs community fixes remain common.

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

4.5 / 5

✓Sold or given away today by an official source
✗Needs fan patches to run well on Windows 11
✓All of its content still works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
PCGamingWiki records no shut-down servers or lost content (PCGamingWiki).
✓Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
Native widescreen and modern resolutions (PCGamingWiki).
✓Full controller support or remappable controls
Controller support (PCGamingWiki).
✓Steam Deck Verified or Playable
✓No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
✓No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
✓No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
The open issues PCGamingWiki lists are minor and do not stop play (PCGamingWiki).

1 check not confirmed yet

Single-player works without an internet connection

From the Steam store, Valve’s Steam Deck rating and the sources under each check. Checks not confirmed yet don’t count.

Design today

2.5 / 5

✗Controls feel awkward on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
The PC port has input lag and controller mapping problems that need Steam Input or a fan fix. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, vaporlens.app.
✗Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
Without a fan fix, enemy scan text breaks above 720p, the HUD has sampling errors and ultrawide screens are not supported. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, vaporlens.app.
✓Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
Saving happens at save stations spread along the linear levels, and a lost battle can be retried at once. On Steam, cloud sync can crash the game while saving until it is switched off for this title. Source: en.wikipedia.org, pcgamingwiki.com.
✓It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
Systems are unlocked slowly with constant tutorials, so no guide is needed, though the hand-holding lasts a long time. Source: destructoid.com, vaporlens.app.
✗Pacing drags: grind, filler or forced backtracking
Long linear corridors, a slow tutorial-like opening and a sharp difficulty spike late in the game are widely shared complaints. Source: vaporlens.app, destructoid.com.
✗Camera or movement fights the player
On the PC port the right stick may not move the camera at all, and controller buttons can be mapped wrongly, until Steam Input is enabled for the game. Movement and camera keys cannot be remapped. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.