Persona fans have a lot of questions for Atlus about Persona 6. The form of Persona 6 is largely in question, considering how many people fell in love with Persona 5. Some fans would rather see Atlus come up with another game using the Phantom Thieves than start over again with a new storyline. For another thing, fans want to know simply when Persona 6 is supposed to come out. It could still be a long way out, since Atlus has had plenty of other Persona projects come out recently. However, it's 2021, and that means Atlus is celebrating Persona's 25th anniversary. Many fans are crossing their fingers and hoping to at least see Persona 6 revealed.
However, there's one more important detail of Persona 6 that fans would love to know about, even if it's not as frequently the topic of debate. Fans want to know what console or consoles Persona 6 will be available on. Some speculate that Persona 6 will be a PS5 exclusive so that Atlus can make its graphics and performance far more intense than any previous entry, as so many other developers are doing. The Persona franchise might actually lose more than it gains if its next entry turned out to be a PS5 exclusive, though. The franchise's surge of success would respond best to keeping the next game as accessible as possible.
Weighing Atlus' Options
For a long time now, Persona fans have been optimistic that Persona 6 will show up on the PS4. That's in large part due to a survey Atlus put out in 2019, asking fans what platforms they'd like to see Atlus games come to in the future, both new games and remakes. Persona 6 stuck out like a sore thumb to survey takers, and the mere mention of the game got a lot of people excited. The context certainly seemed to imply that Atlus was open to the idea of Persona 6 being available on many platforms, which is striking, considering how the franchise has been largely confined to PlayStations in recent history.
If Atlus is considering making the game a PS5 exclusive now, though, it can't be blamed for at least considering that. The PS5 is a big hit, and it's already proven to be an extremely powerful console. Even though the PS5 is well stocked with big games, both released and upcoming, Persona currently has the clout to make a splash as a PS5 exclusive. Many fans dream of seeing a Persona game running smoothly at a crisp 60 FPS, so Atlus certainly wouldn't be hurting for a market if Persona 6 was exclusive to a next-gen console.
However, if it did that, it would go against the entire spirit of the survey it recently offered its fans. Atlus wouldn't put out a survey like that if it wasn't interested in figuring out the best ways to deliver content to its fans. It's probably realized by now that not every Persona fan has a PS5 or is planning to invest in one yet, so many fans would probably be disgruntled by a PS5 exclusive Persona 6, rather than excited about it. After all, it's hard to be excited about a game that one can't play. Fans have been asking Atlus for more access to Persona games a lot lately, and PS5 exclusivity would fly in the face of those hopes.
Accessibility Helps Everyone
Not only would Persona 6 on PS5 only hurt fans, but it would defy the message Atlus has recently been sending in terms of platforms it's willing to put Persona games on. Many fans would like to see Persona games come to PC, for instance, so the community was delighted when Atlus announced a Persona 4 Golden remaster that was coming to Steam. That defied all previous convention of Persona games, and made many fans optimistic for Persona 5 on PC. Atlus followed up Persona 4 Golden with the multi-platform Persona 5 Strikers, which is available on PS4, PC, and Switch. That broad range makes Persona content available to tons of different fans.
The pattern established by Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Strikers would suggest that Atlus wants to be on more platforms. It seems like it took notes from the survey it put out and realized there's a lot to be gained from making its games available to as many potential fans as possible. The more consoles that Persona 6 is playable on, the more potential buyers Atlus has. Persona 5 brought in a lot of fans, but it's also raised Persona awareness in general and might convince those who haven't played Persona 5 to get into the franchise with Persona 6. Atlus can reach more of these possible players by broadening its horizons.
Atlus has built up so much momentum for Persona that it shouldn't suddenly take a gamble like next-gen exclusivity. It's discovered that fans are happy to be able to play Persona games on the platform of their choice, and it's making tons of money to boot. Fans would be really disappointed to see Atlus go back on its apparent initiative to make Persona games more widely available, and odds are Atlus would struggle to find the sales its hoping for. The PS5's specs are tempting, but it can't carry Persona 6 all on its own.
The More The Merrier
Of course, none of this should stop Atlus from considering making a PS5 version of Persona 6. Just because the game would suffer from being next-gen only doesn't mean Atlus shouldn't take a stab as a next-gen game at all. Plenty of other studios are making both PS4 and PS5 versions of their games right now, and there's no reason Atlus can't do the same. That way Persona lovers without the new console can still keep up with the franchise, and those who have secured a PS5 can enjoy Persona 6 as a top-of-the-line experience.
The fact remains that Persona 6 will suffer if it's only on the PS5, as will the Persona fan community. It's just not the practical thing to do for the franchise right now. Atlus promised last year that 2021 would be huge for Persona, as anyone would expect out of a franchise's 25th anniversary. It remains to be seen just what Atlus has in store to celebrate the occasion. Even though there's no sign yet of it coming out soon, fans will keep hoping that Persona 6 is on the cards from the near future. If it is, hopefully Atlus does what's best for its fans and its booming franchise and chooses many platforms to bring Persona 6 to.
Persona 6 is rumored to be in development.