Which Final Fantasy game was originally planned for the Nintendo 64 but later moved to PlayStation?

The Final Fantasy game originally planned for Nintendo 64 before moving to PlayStation was Final Fantasy VII.

Square began discussing Final Fantasy VII after Final Fantasy VI, first imagining it as a 2D Super Nintendo project. As the team moved toward polygonal 3D graphics, it tested both Nintendo 64 and PlayStation hardware. A technical demonstration using Final Fantasy VI characters helped convince the developers that the next installment should embrace 3D presentation.

The Nintendo 64’s cartridge format became a major obstacle. Final Fantasy VII’s pre-rendered backgrounds, full-motion video, music, and large amount of text required far more storage than cartridges could conveniently provide. Tests also exposed performance problems, including difficulty rendering complex polygonal models. Square therefore shifted the project to Sony’s CD-ROM-based PlayStation, whose discs offered much greater capacity.

The decision transformed the series. Released in 1997, Final Fantasy VII became the first mainline entry with extensive 3D graphics and full-motion video, and its worldwide success helped popularize Japanese role-playing games and strengthen the PlayStation’s position.