In the latest pre-launch stream of Final Fantasy XVI, the game's team made a recommendation specifically for Japanese players. During the stream, which featured notable staff members such as Producer Naoki Yoshida and Director Hiroshi Takai, the team addressed feedback that was relevant only to the Japanese audience or those who preferred the Japanese dub.
Although the broadcast was conducted in Japanese, English subtitles were provided to aid understanding. One particular topic discussed during the stream was the feedback received from Japanese players regarding the lack of proper lip sync in their language.
The team explained that Final Fantasy XVI's development primarily relied on the English dub, which posed challenges for achieving accurate lip sync in Japanese. The facial movements in the game were based on facial capture data from the performers of the English dub, making it difficult to sync with the Japanese language.
Due to the limitations of AI tools in this regard, the team suggested that Japanese players try playing the game with the English dub instead. The lip sync in the game has been specifically designed for the English language.
This situation is quite unusual since, in the case of Japanese games, it is typically the opposite—English players often have to rely on subtitles or translations. The tables have turned in this instance.
For those interested in watching the full broadcast where this information was discussed, the video can be viewed below: