The long-awaited Shin Megami Tensei 5 released just last Friday as a Nintendo Switch exclusive. However, a dataminer has found evidence in its files that suggest there may be a port of Shin Megami Tensei 5 coming to PS4 and PC.
Datamining is a process by which people download a game's data files, which are written in computer code, and glean details about upcoming releases, updates, or – in this case – ports from the information these files contain. Dataminers often leak this information online, allowing fanbases to get the particulars about their favorite games before they're even released.
Twitter user @regularpanties, also known as Pan-hime, recently leaked a string of code from Shin Megami Tensei 5's .uproject file, revealing that the game's target platforms are the Nintendo Switch, the PS4, and Windows, indicating a future port to the latter two consoles. There are also graphical settings listed under the "PS4 DeviceProfile," such as texture quality and resolution, a strong implication for both PS4 and PC (as these settings could only be changed on PC). Neither Atlus nor Sega Corporation has yet made any mention of a port for Shin Megami Tensei 5, which implied that the title may remain a Nintendo Switch exclusive.
While Shin Megami Tensei 4 was only released for the Nintendo 3DS, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne recently received an HD remaster for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC, paving the way for its successor on these consoles as well. In fact, it was the very same dataminer who originally leaked that this remaster would come to PC in the first place, assigning greater credibility to the data found in Shin Megami Tensei 5's files. Moreover, a PC port for the title was mentioned in a datamine of Nvidia's Geforce Now server earlier this year, furthering the reliability of this leak.
By porting Shin Megami Tensei 5 to consoles outside of the Nintendo Switch, Atlus may be able to cast a wider net for audiences unfamiliar with the JRPG genre. A new main series entry for the franchise hasn't been released to Western audiences since 2013, leaving room for Shin Megami Tensei 5 to draw in plenty of new fans, especially following the release of Persona 5, a massively popular spinoff title of the same franchise.
However, it's important to remember that datamines are not always reliable. Developers may leave certain keywords in a game's files, even if these ideas are simply placeholders, or were scrapped later on in the title's development. If Shin Megami Tensei 5 is slated for release on other consoles, it's impossible to know for certain until Atlus announces it themselves. For now, fans will simply have to bide their time and hope that the data revealed in this leak proves to be true.
Shin Megami Tensei 5 is available now on Nintendo Switch.