ThePersonaseries has become one of the most popular JRPG series in recent years thanks to the success ofPersona 5. The series was definitely popular beforeP5, however, when the game released worldwide in 2017, it smashed the previous games' sales numbers to pieces. Ever since, Atlus has been riding thePersonapopularity wave by making a handful of spin-off games to capitalize onPersona 5’s success includingPersona 5: Dancing in Starlight,Persona 5: Strikers,Persona 5 Royal, and arumoredPersona 5fighting game.Persona 6is reportedly in development, however, one key element might make it an even bigger hit than its predecessor:Persona 5 Royal’s rumored arrival on Xbox Game Pass.
Rumors thatPersona 5orPersona 5 Royalwould be leaving the PS4 and coming to other platforms have been circulating for a while, but recentlyPersona 5 Royalhas been reportedly rated for Xbox consoles in Korea. As a result, many fans seem to think that an announcement ofP5Rcoming to Xbox Game Pass is imminent. If this rumor is true, an Xbox port of the game would do some great things for the series and setPersona 6up for success before it even launches.
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Persona 5 Royal Coming to Game Pass Will Continue the Series' Popularity
Persona 5has been championed as a “must play” for PS4 ownersso its word of mouth as a high-quality title might also convince plenty of Xbox owners to download it. Either way, because a port has been in high demand for years, if one were to finally come, more people would be playingPersona 5than ever before. Its rumored arrival on Game Pass would definitely give it more of a boost for those not wanting to pay full price for it, however, no matter what form it takes, it’s a solid bet that it might top the charts following its launch. If it does well enough, fans might call for ports of the other games in the series which would continue its rapid growth.
Ending PlayStation Exclusivity Just in Time for Persona 6
Even though it might seem like it, there’s been no official confirmation made public that Atlus has an exclusivity deal with Sony for thePersonaseries. In terms of mainline entries, the games have all come out on Sony consoles, but spinoffs like thePersona Qgames andPersona 5Strikershave released on Nintendo consoles. But because of the mainline exclusivity, fans have associated the series as being a PlayStation exclusive. That mentality might go out the window ifPersona 5makes the jump across the aisle to Xbox consoles.
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When third-party studios release games as exclusives, they’re drastically reducing their potential player base size. Luckily, Atlus has been able to find success by makingPersonaa mostly exclusive series, but if the studio wants to expand its audience in a major way, then it makes sense to release the next mainline entry across multiple platforms. It also makes sense to do that forthe release ofPersona 6with the series at the height of its popularity.
BetweenPersona 5andPersona 5 Royal, the game has sold over 4 million copies and 2021’s spinoff sequelPersona 5 Strikerssold over 1 million in just a few short months, so there’s no telling how high the potential sales for the next mainline entry might be. By allowing even more people to access the series' most popular entry, Atlus issettingPersona 6up for record-breaking successas long as the studio can handle its treatment of non-PlayStation fans correctly.
Building the Hype and Excitement for Persona 6
By allowing fans of an entirely new platform to have access to the most recent entry in the franchise, Atlus might be teasing what’s next for its future releases. It’s certainly possible thatPersona 5 Royalcoming to Xboxis a one-off release to capitalize even further on its success, however, that doesn’t seem likely given what might be in store for the future of the franchise and the heights that Atlus would most likely want to take it.
It feels like it would be a waste of potential as well as goodwill in the eyes of Xbox fans for Atlus to publishPersona 5 Royalon Xbox consoles and then revert back to Sony exclusivity ofPersona 6. If the studio wants to truly makePersona 6the biggest release the series has ever seen, it’s going to need to think bigger than the PS4 and PS5.Persona 5 Strikers' release on the Switch and PC also might be telling for the series' future. Last year,Persona 4Goldenreceived a Steam releasewhich sold surprisingly well to both Atlus and SEGA showing the two company’s that a market forPersonaoutside of PlayStation exists and is hungry for more.
With E3 just around the corner and Microsoft having a large showcase during it, it’s certainly possible that more information aboutPersona 5 Royaland its relation to Game Pass is coming. This is Atlus' game to win if the studio plays its cards right and capitalizes on the almost surefire continued success ofPersonaon Xbox or Game Pass. By putting the game in the hands of the ever-growing Xbox community, Atlus can ensure thatPersona 6willsee an even bigger launch thanPersona 5.
Persona 6is reportedly in development.
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