Persona has been a successful series for many years, but Persona 5's sales speak for themselves. The latest core installation in Atlus' high school JRPG franchise is a massive hit and may have changed the course of the Persona franchise forever. Many core Persona games get spinoffs in their time, but Persona 5 has been particularly productive since its debut, spawning a sequel in Persona 5 Strikers and a long list of crossovers with other video games. With all that hype in mind, it's no surprise that fans want to see Persona 5 come to more consoles. Fans always enjoy more options for play, and making Persona 5 more accessible could make the franchise even more successful.
That's why a recent Microsoft tweet about Persona 5 has gotten so many fans excited. The game has yet to make its way on Xbox, and there hasn't been any sign that Atlus was aiming for an Xbox release, but the tweet could be a sign of change. Persona 5 fans should note that it isn't the only sign of Persona's potential presence on the Xbox. The upcoming 2022 release Soul Hackers 2 will be on Xbox, in spite of Megami Tensei largely preferring Sony and Nintendo consoles. Soul Hackers 2 establishes a relationship between Atlus and Microsoft that could lead to Persona 5 finally joining the Xbox library.
Persona and Megami Tensei's Change in Consoles
For many years, the Persona franchise has largely preferred the PlayStation as its platform of choice. That includes Persona 5, which was a PS3 and PS4 title at launch; its expanded edition Persona 5 Royal was a PS4 exclusive too. In the last few years, however, Persona side games have been more amenable to other consoles: both Persona 5 Strikers and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax have released on multiple platforms, including PC and the Switch. These games haven't made their way to the Xbox, however, suggesting that Atlus didn't consider Microsoft's consoles as a priority.
Soul Hackers 2 changes that. While Soul Hackers 2 skips the Switch, it will be available on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X, thoroughly establishing it as an Xbox title. This is the first time in recent history that Atlus has signaled an interest in the Xbox, and based on its recent growth on PC and Switch, it may not be the last. It wouldn't be surprising if Soul Hackers 2 is meant to be only the first of several Atlus RPGs to release on Xbox consoles. Although it's unclear what game Atlus might have around the corner after Soul Hackers 2, it could readily return to Persona 5 to cement its presence on Microsoft's consoles.
Extending the Persona Franchise's Reach
Getting the Persona series on the Xbox certainly wouldn't be a bad idea. Atlus could put the momentum created by Persona 5 to use by making the core games available on other platforms. By establishing Persona's presence on every major platform in that way, it would give itself good cause to release Persona 6 on multiple platforms, which could result in far more sales of the next game than even Persona 5 enjoyed. Persona 6's eventual success could have a lot to do with Atlus' gradual expansion onto multiple consoles.
Fans certainly shouldn't hold their breath for a Persona 5 Xbox release just yet. The Microsoft tweet is far from a confirmation of an Xbox port, and considering how long Atlus has gone without releasing Persona 5 on PC in spite of fan demands, it may not be bringing its recent hit to a new console just yet. Still, Soul Hackers 2's surprising combination of platforms is a good sign that Atlus wants to give Persona and the other Megami Tensei games a much broader reach than they've otherwise had in the last few years. Hopefully Soul Hackers 2 hints at a more accessible future of Atlus games.
Persona 5 is available now on PS3 and PS4.
