Persona 5 has become a subfranchise for the Persona series after the original game's immensely successful release in 2017. Persona 5 was the first mainline numbered Persona game in over eight years, and it was delayed multiple times during its development. The wait was certainly worth it, as its popularity spawned several subsequent games with the Persona 5 name, and many crossovers with other games.
If players want to get the whole Persona 5 experience, they'll need to put a lot of time aside for it. The original release of Persona 5 and the Royal re-release are both very long RPGs; even casual playthroughs of only the main Persona story will approach one hundred hours each. Dedicated players who want to catch up would really need to put aside a week or two for the whole experience.
Persona 5
Persona 5's main story clocks in around 97 hours, but most players will have engaged in at least some side content by the endgame, as Confidants and Mementos runs are basically necessary to beat the game. With extra content, the number of hours can reach 115 and beyond. While the two releases are different enough experiences that they can warrant separate playthroughs, players who just want the most recent and relevant plot content can play the Royal release instead of the original.
Persona 5 Royal
Persona 5: Royal added new Confidants and plot content to the main story, making it a longer playthrough. The main story is approximately 103 hours long, and extra content can take that number to over 125 hours. The time spent is worth it, though, as the new content adds new layers to characters like Akechi, and the new characters like Kasumi have narratives worth experiencing in full. There are new boss battles, extended scenes, and completely new gameplay mechanics. Those who want a relatively easier experience can stick with the original and read up on what they missed, but if players have to choose a single title, Royal has more relevance as the most updated story.
Persona 5: Dancing Star Night
Persona 5: Dancing Star Night released in tandem with Persona 3: Dancing Moon Night, both following the example of Persona 4's own dancing game from 2015. Dancing Star Night does not have much of a plot to speak of; it mostly just involves the Velvet Room sisters and Elizabeth competing over who has the best dancers on their team. The events of the game are wiped from the characters' memories, so the story bears no relevance to the actual canon. The Persona soundtrack and rhythm game gameplay are the main point of these games, rather than any complex narrative.
Players who don't enjoy rhythm games can freely skip over this title. For those that do play it, however, the main story is about 7 hours long and the extra content brings it up to around 13 hours.
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
Even though Atlus' stance on the Persona Q games is that they are canon, they truly aren't necessary to understanding the overarching story. Like its predecessor, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, this game is an Etrian Odyssey-style dungeon crawler in which players draw their own maps. New Cinema Labyrinth's main story clocks in at about 50 hours, and adding extra content to that number makes it about 70 hours.
The story involves the casts of every main Persona game since Persona 3, with the thieves at the forefront. While it's a fun crossover with a compelling cinema-themed setting, those who want to skip this game won't be missing much in terms of relevant plot. Persona Q2 is also hard to get, as most stores no longer carry new copies of the 3DS title.
Persona 5 Strikers
Even though Strikers' playstyle is a departure from the usual turn-based RPG, instead opting for real-time Dynasty Warriors-style combat, the game is meant to be a direct sequel to Persona 5. Those who have already played the newest title report that the main story is around 38 hours, and all of the extra content brings that number up to around 55 hours. The Phantom Thieves' summer vacation doesn't last as long as their original story, but Persona 5 Strikers is looking to be a worthy successor of the massively popular original.
In total, if a player goes through every Persona 5 game, that would add up to about 295 - 378 hours, with plenty of variance depending on how much side content is explored. Not every game is necessarily essential to the story, but each game provides its own unique and immersive experience.
Persona 5 is available now on PS4 and PS3. Persona 5 Strikers will be available on Switch, PS4, and PC on February 23, 2021.