In the wake of the release of Persona 5 Royal, Atlus’ Persona series solidified itself as one of the iconic JRPG franchises. Persona 5 in particular is so iconic that gamer-tourists flock to Shibuya station, just to get the iconic shot of the Phantom Thieves loitering above the Shibuya Scramble (they remodeled that bit of the station, incidentally, but you can still find the angle).
But that success developed surprisingly slowly. Persona is actually a spin-off of Atlus’ other RPG franchise, Shin Megami Tensei, and the first one came out nearly three decades ago. Also, despite what the titles of the games would suggest, there aren’t five mainline Persona games. There are six. And that’s not even including the spin-offs, remakes, and enhanced versions. (And for the record, Metaphor: ReFantazio doesn’t count as a Persona game.)
Dipping into that rich, 30-year JPRG history is well worth it, although it’s easier to find some games than others. Here’s where you can play all the mainline Persona games. Legally. Heads up: you might want to invest in a PSP.
| Platforms | PS1, PlayStation Classic, PSP |
Revelations: Persona came out in 1996 for the original PlayStation, with subsequent releases on Microsoft Windows and Playstation Portable. Our heroes gain their personas after an epic bout of fortune-telling. Unfortunately, the most modern hardware the game has been “re-released” on is the PlayStation Classic—Sony’s 2018 remake of the original PlayStation.
In other words, no version of this game exists on modern hardware. You’ll have to get your hands on a physical copy, in the odd chance you still have your PS1, PlayStation Classic, or PSP. However, Atlus seems committed to remaking the old Persona games, so hopefully there will be a remastered modern version someday.
| Platforms | PlayStation, PSP, PlayStation Vita |
Also simply known as Persona 2: Innocent Sin, the second Persona game was released on the PlayStation in 1999—but only in Japan. The game didn’t release in North America and Europe until over a decade later, when a localized version was ported to the PSP in 2011. It’s apparently also available on the PlayStation Vita.
Unfortunately, that’s the most recent release of the game. Like Revelations: Persona, there’s currently no way to play Persona 2—Innocent Sin on modern consoles.
Innocent Sin follows a group of high schoolers in the fictional town of Sumaru contending with a mysterious villain named Joker, whose rumors appear to change the fabric of reality.
| Platforms | PlayStation, PSP, PlayStation Vita, PS3 |
Ah, yes, here’s the one that throws the number count off. Eternal Punishment is a direct sequel to Innocent Sin and was released in the following year, 2000. The story takes place a few months after Innocent Sin and still deals with the “Joker Curse,” but through a different protagonist, a teen reporter.
Despite being so closely linked to Innocent Sin, Eternal Punishment was more widely available. It got a simultaneous North American release on the PlayStation in 2000. Like Eternal Sin, it received a PlayStation Portable remake in 2011, but that remake was also available on the wider PlayStation Network, allowing PS3 owners to get their hands on it in 2013.
The bad news is that Eternal Punishment is not available on modern hardware. The good news is that it’s highly likely someone, somewhere in an office at Atlus is pitching a two-for-one remake of Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment.
| Platforms (Persona 3) | PlayStation 2 |
| Platforms (Persona 3 FES) | PlayStation 3 |
| Platforms (Persona 3 Portable) | PS4, Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch |
| Platforms (Persona 3 Reload) | PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC |
Persona 3 is when the series finally fully came out from under the shadow of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. Originally released on PlayStation 2 in 2006 in Japan and 2007 in North America, this game’s teens are struggling to understand death as they investigate a mysterious time anomaly known as the “Dark Hour”. A version called Persona 3 FES, with an additional epilogue, was released the following year and is available to play if you have a PS3.
Beyond even FES, Persona 3 has had a couple remakes. An abridged version, Persona 3 Portable, originally came out for the PSP, but was later made available to play on the PS4, Windows, Xbox One … and Nintendo Switch. Physical versions for the Xbox One, Switch, and PS4 were released in 2023. Notably, some consider Portable to be the best iteration of Persona 3.
But the newest version is the 2024 remake, Persona 3 Reload, which is available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows. Reload definitely caters to fans of Persona 5 Royal. Physical versions are available for the PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
| Platforms (Persona 4) | PlayStation 2 |
| Platforms (Persona 4 Golden) | PlayStation Vita, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC |
Just two years later, in 2008, Persona 4 burst onto the PlayStation 2. Persona 4 takes on the form of a classic murder mystery, with our group of teens using the personas to try to solve a slew of murders. Persona 4 is beloved, to put it mildly.
An enhanced remake of the game, Persona 4 Golden, came out for the PlayStation Vita in 2012. Golden is the version of the game that’s now available on just about every platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Physical versions are available for all hardware except the PC.
| Platforms (Persona 5) | PS3, PS4 |
| Platforms (Persona 5 Royal) | PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC |
While Persona 4 turned heads, Persona 5 is the entry that made Persona into a gamers’ household name. The original version released simultaneously for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in Japan in 2016 and worldwide in 2017. But the enhanced, definitive version, Persona 5 Royal, came out a few years later. You might remember that it came out in North America in March 2020, giving us a tantalizing view of Tokyo as the country entered shutdown from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Persona 5 follows a protagonist, codename Joker, who’s wrongfully accused of assault and relocates to Tokyo to start his life anew. But he’s soon drawn into the world of “palaces,” powerful metaphysical places created by people’s delusions. The Phantom Thieves, the “take your heart” calling cards—that’s this one.
It was a slow drip, but Royal is now available to play on almost all modern platforms: PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Physical copies are available, as well as digital ones on your given platform’s online store.
