The Persona series by Atlus lets players experience life as a high school teenager in Japan, engaging in everyday activities such as studying, making friends, keeping a part-time job, and shopping. Amid their regular life, players also solve mysteries that often have strong Jungian themes. For instance, in Persona 4 players can enter a TV world where they battle peoples' shadows, which represent the repressed aspects of their personalities. The series has garnered itself a strong following, and since Persona 5's launch in 2016, gamers have been eager for Atlus to release Persona 6.
Although Atlus has yet to confirm whether Persona 6 is on the way anytime soon, gamers have already been speculating on what directions the next game could go in. Regardless of what the developer decides to do, it should consider giving the title a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass. Despite being popular, a Game Pass release may help expose more people to a series that they otherwise would not have considered. Furthermore, Xbox gamers have not gotten to enjoy Persona as much as PlayStation players, and Persona 6 could be the game to change that.
Persona Has Neglected Xbox
For most of Persona's history, the franchise has been mostly associated with PlayStation. The first game was released on the PlayStation 1 in 1996, although years later it received PSP and PC ports. This trend of favoring PlayStation has continued with subsequent games, including Persona 5. There have been a few Persona spin-off titles that have appeared on Xbox and Nintendo, including Persona 4 Arena: Ultimax, but they are in the minority. However, things may be changing soon.
As part of Persona's 25th anniversary, Atlus has revealed that three Persona titles - Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 3 Portable - will be making their way to Xbox and Nintendo Switch. Xbox fans will likely be excited for Persona 5 Royal, as it will feature all the additional content that has been released since the game originally launched, including over 40 DLCs. Xbox users will get to enjoy it on October 21, and it will also appear on Xbox Game Pass.
Persona 5's arrival on Xbox and Xbox Game Pass marks a milestone for the series, and it demonstrates that Atlus is willing to expand to platforms it had not previously embraced. Xbox Game Pass will also ensure that the game is accessible to as many people as possible. Hopefully, Atlus continues this trend with Persona 6 and also takes things further. With the next release, Altus should not make Xbox owners wait longer than those on PlayStation. Furthermore, a day-one Xbox Game Pass release may make up for all the years it has neglected the platform.
A Persona 6 Game Pass Release Is Perfect for Those Intimidated by JRPGs
The Persona series has been around for decades, and it has managed to penetrate the western market in that time. In 2021, it was revealed that Persona 5's global sales had exceeded five million copies, bringing the franchise's total sales to 15 million. Those sales numbers are set to grow with the upcoming ports. Nevertheless, at its core Persona is still a JRPG, and it contains plenty of elements that may be unfamiliar to western gamers.
Most notably, combat in Persona is turn-based, and players have to manage their party and orchestrate moves to take down foes. If a member of the party goes down, the others can pick up the slack or use their turn to revive a friend, and they can also launch an All-Out-Attack in a pinch to change the direction of a battle. While the gameplay is engaging, it may not look particularly appealing to gamers who are used to real-time combat and only controlling a single character at a time. Furthermore, the slice-of-life gameplay, on the surface, seems like it is composed of mundane activities, which doesn't always offer a good picture of how immersive Persona games are once they get going.
By releasing Persona 6 on Xbox Game Pass, Atlus may help a lot of Xbox users overcome any resistance they may have toward unfamiliar gameplay. Gamers who are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass gain access to a library of titles that are rotated out each month, and some receive day-one releases. While gamers unfamiliar with JRPGs may be unwilling to spend money on a game, especially at release price, seeing Persona 6 available on Xbox Game Pass would make it much more alluring.
PlayStation could also implement the same strategy with its PlayStation Plus subscription service, which was recently revamped to feature a library of games to stream and download. While Sony has stated that it has no plans for day-one releases from its first-party studios, for now, others can still do so. Hopefully, Atlus is one of them, as a day-one release of Persona 6 would add great value to the subscription service and reward PlayStation fans that have stuck with the franchise for a long time.
Soon, Xbox gamers will get to enjoy the Persona series, and while they may be late to the party, better late than never. In addition to Persona 5, players will also receive ports of Persona 3 and 4, which are still heaps of fun despite their age. If Atlus wishes to expand the reach of the Persona series even further, it should consider launching Persona 6 through Xbox Game Pass on day one, allowing gamers who are still on the fence regarding the series to dip their toes into a surprisingly psychoanalytical franchise.
Persona 6 has yet to be confirmed by Atlus.