While it’s never been particularly confirmed or denied otherwise, Atlus games have typically skewed towards PlayStation exclusivity in the past. Especially when it comes to mainlinePersonagames, every entry (and enhanced re-release likePersona 3 FES,Persona 4 Golden,Persona 5 Royal) has released on a PlayStation console. Only spin-offs manage to branch out beyond PlayStation’s portfolio, with games likePersona QandQ2releasing on the Nintendo DS and 3DS, respectively. The sole time aPersonagame came to an Xbox console was the fighting game spin-off ofPersona 4proper:Persona 4 Arena, followed by its re-releasePersona 4 ArenaUltimax.
It’s hard to argue that there’s any shortage of JRPG fans who don’t own a Xbox console, especially in recent years. Xbox Game Pass has added a slew of popular JRPGs to the subscription, ranging from the traditional turn-based combat games, to more modern and contemporary alternatives. While mainline games in thePersonaseries have typically released solely on PlayStation, that trend has changed recently withPersona 4 Goldencoming to PC last year, as well asPersona 5 Strikersreleasing on PC last month.Personacertainly wouldn’t be particularly out of place on Xbox consoles as well as PlayStation, especially in the wake ofPersona 5’s enduring popularity.
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Clearly There’s An Audience For JPRGs and Persona On Xbox
Judging by the recent additions to Xbox Game Pass by Square Enix, and even Atlus' parent company Sega, clearly there’s an audience for all kinds for JRPGs on Xbox. Square Enix in particular has proved this immensely, releasing games both old and new from theFinal Fantasy,Dragon Quest,and evenKingdom Heartsfranchises. Not to mention other less mainstream additions likeTales of VesperiaorCode Vein, which are far more niche compared to other JRPGs like thePersonaseries. This is without even taking into account JRPGs not on Xbox Game Pass, like theYsgames or theValkyria Chroniclesseries.Personawould fit in alongside these games quite well.
While thePersonaseries is a more recent addition to mainstream popularity withPersona 5, that doesn’t mean the series as a whole is any less iconic thanFinal FantasyorDragon Quest.Persona 3andPersona 4are equally critically-acclaimed games that are also loved by existingPersonafans. With thePersonaseries arguably on the same level of popularity asFinal FantasyandDragon Queston PlayStation, extending the series to Xbox would only be good for the series.Persona 4 Goldenkicked off a new leniency on platform exclusivitythat Atlus had never exhibited previously. There’s a whole new sector of JRPG fans on Xbox that’d playPersona, theoretically.
Atlus' Leniency On Exclusivity Could Bring Persona to Xbox
Another very important factor that could lead toPersonagames coming to Xbox is Atlus' parent company, Sega. Back in 2017, Sega and Atlus had reiterated that franchises likePersonaandYakuzawould remain exclusive to PlayStation consoles for the foreseeable future. In particular, theYakuzaKiwamiremakes of the first and second games, as well asYakuza 0, were PlayStation console exclusives until February of last year. Not only were the first threeYakuzagames released on Xbox One last year, but they also released day-and-date on Xbox Game Pass. The rest of the originalYakuzaseries released on Xbox One and Xbox Game Pass this Februaryas well.
Even Sega is showing love to a JRPG series often thought as obscure or bespoke, a distinction often attributed to thePersonaseries untilPersona 5andPersona 5 Royal’s release. As recently as November 2020,Sega still considered theYakuzaseries “niche,“despite the traditional JRPG reimagining ofYakuza: Like a Dragonbreaking sales records for the series.Personacould see a similar explosion in popularity on Xbox, especially if the series was added to Xbox Game Pass as well. So far,Persona 4 Goldenis the only mainline entry in the series that’s made its way to a platform other than PlayStation, even if it’s on PC and not Xbox specifically.
However, the specific success ofPersona 4 Goldencould very wellinfluence several legacy ports of thePersonaseries, which in turn could lead to Xbox ports later on. A similar situation occurred withKingdom HeartsandFinal Fantasy, proving that Xbox fans were interested in the JRPG genre. Western acceptance of modern JRPGs has been slow-going in the last several years, butPersona 5has largely marked a turning point in that trend. The subsect of games affectionately referred to as “made in Japan” have seen an explosion in popularity among western audiences.Personamaking its way to Xbox would further emphasize that trend, especially withPersona 5.
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