Persona 6is a total mystery as of this writing. All that Atlus has said explicitly about the nextPersonais that it’s in the works, and that it aims to make a title even greater thanPersona 5.That’s a tall order considering how much lovePersona 5has generated, so one wonders what Atlus plans on doing to make such a successful game. Some rumors claim thatPersona 6will be PS5 exclusive.The PS5 certainly has loading speeds and rendering capabilities that could result in a smooth and beautifulPersonaexperience.
With that said,makingPersona 6a PS5 exclusivewould be a mistake.Personais changing in a lot of ways lately, and that includes an increasing willingness from Atlus to send its fans to other consoles. Ideally,Persona 6will pursue that trend and launch on platforms like PC and the Nintendo Switch rather than limiting access to PS5 users alone. Between Atlus' change in its approach to distributingPersonaand the growing fanbase, it’s clear that the next game needs to be available on more than one kind of console.
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Persona’s New Distribution Model
Although Atlus isn’t a Sony subsidiary,Personais historically associated with the PlayStation family of consoles. The franchise got its start on the original PlayStation, and since thenPersonagames have continuously appeared on Sony consoles, includingthe handheld PlayStation Portable and Vita. That’s not to sayPersonais PlayStation exclusive; several side games and spin-offs have appeared on consoles like the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo 3DS, for instance. However, from a historical perspective, the franchise overwhelmingly favors the PlayStation.
That has started to change. WhilethePersona 5action-RPG successorPersona 5 Strikersdebuted on PS4, it also released on Nintendo Switch and PC. Additionally, whenPersona 4 Goldengot a new release in 2020, it went directly to PC. In 2022,Personafans will also get a port ofPersona 4 Arena Ultimaxon PC, PS4, and Switch. These three games establish a clear pattern of Atlus' willingness to sendPersonagames to consoles other than the PlayStation, with an emphasis on the PC and Switch.
Because of that pattern, makingPersona 6a PS5 exclusive would be a step backwards. ThroughPersona 5 Strikers, Persona 4 Golden,andPersona 4 Arena Ultimax,Atlus is building strong ties with the Switch and PC audiences, expanding the franchise’s influence outside the PlayStation. If it then decided to makePersona 6PlayStation exclusive, Atlus would be wasting those ties. It would be wiser to make the nextPersonagame available to non-PlayStation users in order to capitalize on the franchise’s growth.
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Fans Want More Access to Persona
There’s already compelling evidence thatPersona 6exclusive to the PlayStation 5 would be a bad idea. When the rumor first cropped up, manyPersonafans took to Twitter to express their distaste, so hopefully Atlus is listening. WhilePS5 shortages will hopefully be resolvedby the timePersona 6comes out, limiting the game to that platform could still shut out a lot of fans.
The potential of a PS5 or broadly PlayStation-exclusivePersona 6is more disappointing considering additional recentPersonanews. At the same time thatPersonafans heard aboutPersona 6’s potential exclusivity, a leaker claimed thatPersona 4would come to Switchand PS5. That move would further cement Atlus' broadening horizons and inspire new hope thatPersona 5will become available outside the PS3 and PS4. Side games on multiple consoles are great, but seeing a corePersonagame rerelease on Switch would be a much bigger deal for the franchise’s future.
After the overwhelmingly positive response toPersona 5,it remains surprising that Atlus has taken so long to make the game available for more audiences. For years, fans have been asking fora PC version ofPersona 5,but Atlus has been slow to act.Persona 5could still be a huge success on PC or Switch, even through five years have passed since it released; Atlus just needs to have faith in the franchise’s growth. The same goes forPersona 6.While it’d definitely be a safe move to keepPersona 6on the PlayStation, it just doesn’t seem prudent to limit the series to one console anymore.
Uncertainty and Hope for Persona 6
It seems likely that the air of mystery aroundPersona 6will become a central part of its identity in the coming years.Persona 6has more eyes on it than usual, and at the same time there’s more hopes and demands forPersona 6than Atlus may be used to. Fans don’t just want to see the game on multiple platforms; thePersonacommunity also wantcharacters as compelling as the Phantom Thieves, mechanics as strong asPersona 5’s Confidants, and so on.Persona 6inheritsPersona 5’s fame, but it also has to tread carefully to avoid disappointing players.
In spite of that complicated position, now is the time for Atlus to be bold.Personahas never been this successful, and it’s in a prime position to keep gathering fans if it can reach people outside its usual platform. Based onsales ofPersona 4 GoldenandPersona 5 Strikers,there’s clearly a lot of people eager to playPersonagames on something other than a PlayStation, and Atlus should take that to heart. Rather than taking the easy road of PS5 exclusivity,Persona 6is the perfect opportunity to cementPersona’s new identity as a multi-platform franchise.
