Persona 3 and 4 Next-Gen Versions are Xbox Exclusives

For years, fans of the Persona franchise have been begging for remasters of two of the franchise’s most popular titles. Persona 3 has proven itself to be a fan favorite over the years, and soon, players desperate to replay the JRPG and those who may have never had the chance to step into Tartarus will finally be able to do so on modern platforms. Earlier this month, it was announced that Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden would be arriving on current-gen consoles and PC after persistent rumors proved to be true.

It’s also recently been reported that Persona 3 and Persona 4‘s re-releases are native current-gen ports–but only on Xbox consoles. When the games release in January 2023, native Xbox Series X/S versions will be available, but the PlayStation 5 won’t be so lucky. Atlus hasn’t specified why PS5 users won’t be getting the current-gen ports right away, but regardless, those preferring Sony’s newest console will have to settle for the PlayStation 4 versions.

The news is certainly strange. Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5 all launched as PlayStation console exclusives in the past, so we’re not sure why this has changed so drastically. The first game in the franchise to launch beyond Sony’s line of consoles was Persona 4 Golden, which came to the PC in 2020. Later this month, Persona 5 Royal will be released on PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

While the original Persona 3 launched for the PlayStation 2 in 2006, Persona 3 Portable is an enhanced version released for the PlayStation Portable in 2009 in Japan and in 2010 in the US. It was later available on the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation TV.

Earlier this week, the festivities for Persona‘s 25th anniversary came to a close. Many fans lamented the fact that no Persona 6 announcement was made over the last year, though Atlus noted that this was due to fallout from the global pandemic. The director of the Persona series, Kazuhisa Wada, made a statement about this unfortunate situation.

“It is also with great sadness that we must bring an end to the everlasting momentum of Persona‘s 25th anniversary,” Wada said. “There are so many things I would like to tell you, but I deeply apologize for not being able to do so on this occasion. I would like to share them with you at the right time, so please look forward to more information about the Persona series in the future.”

Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden will arrive on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on January 19, 2023. They will also be available on Game Pass for console and PC, and Persona 3 Portable will be available to purchase on Steam. Persona 4 Golden was previously released on Steam in 2020.

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