Did you miss the big Persona news this week? Well, we have something pretty good to tell you! Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 3 Portable are all coming to the Switch.

Starting in October, Persona 5 Royal will be staging a Take Over on the Switch, with Persona 4 and 3 following in 2023. Many of these characters have already made appearances on both the 3DS and Switch before in Persona Q, Persona Q2, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, and Persona 5 Strikers. And 5's protagonist Joker famously became the first DLC character for the first Fighters Pass for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. To say this has been a long time coming is an understatement.

Further reading - Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, And Persona 5 Royal Are Coming To Switch

So why should you play Persona on Switch? Thankfully, the lovely Zion is here to tell you why, but he's not alone — he's getting cosy with a very familiar guest. Jon Cartwright, former video producer here at Nintendo Life and now part of the Good Vibes Gaming YouTube channel, joins Zion on the sofa for a cuppa and a lovely little chat about the Persona series (including Persona 1 and both versions of Persona 2).

The pair reminisce about their Persona history and discuss the benefits of having all three games on a portable Nintendo system. These are long games, but the pick-up and play nature of the Switch should encourage players to play them in bed, or snuggle down on the sofa and play the game at their leisure without worrying about being tethered to a screen.

Check out the video below, say hi to Jon, and let us know your thoughts on Persona coming to the Switch in the comments here and on the channel!

RPG lover first and Nintendo fan second, Alana is often found overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. Fortunately, she’s also easily pleased by anything Yoshi-related, creepy-but-cute Pokémon, and SEGA air pirates.

Because it suits handheld play and the games can be enjoyed in short bursts.

I can see these being the definitive versions of the games to play. They're all last gen games so the switch should have no trouble running them. Not to mention the fact that this is where the genre actually suits the portable nature of it, turn based RPGs are great for pick up and play sessions.

Im really hoping for physicals for these. Got 4 people on 4 switches in the house that want to play these.

TLDR...no not my style of RPG.

It makes more sense for me to play a JRPG comfortably on the couch/bed in handheld mode anyway. But only if it's a good port. So I'm waiting for the reviews before making a purchase decision. Otherwise, I play Persona on the Xbox.

I would prefer to play the Persona series on Switch in handheld mode, but I want Physical copies of the games. Otherwise, I'll save money and play them on Gamepass...

Nah, just play P3P and P5R. You don't need to play P4G.

He’s right. That’s why the PSVita was sooo perfect.

@DTfeartheBEARD I'd be surprised if we're not gonna see a bundle of Persona 3 and 4 for all consoles later.

Persona 4 is all well and good, absolutely a quality game, but 3 is a timeless classic, possibly the most emotionally gripping story in video game history. And I'm not saying this with rose colored glasses - I played it through for the first time recently. It can stir the hearts of the most stoic among us.

On Persona 3 Portable you are allowed to direct control your party, at the cost of having a whole chapter less and less CG scenes too. It do not worth it, but they went with this version anyway. That's why I suggest people who want to play Persona 3 to go with the FES version on your PS2 emulator of choice.

@moodycat But Persona 4 Golden is one of the best games of all-time. How could you say that?!

I have never played any of these despite having recommendation after recommendation from folks I trust. I was secretly waiting for switch ports when I’d respond, “ah yeah I really have to try those games!” Or “yeah… I think I might go home and buy it tonight finally.” Well lo and behold, here we are… I’m soooo glad I waited because I’m for certain buying these now.

Hard part is that the fan base is so divisive on which one to start with or which one was the best or which one was the most accessible…. I honestly might just start with 4 or 5 even though @Ashunera84 above has me pretty convinced I should just go for 3. 😩 why is this so difficult! So much pressure on these games to give them my full undivided attention and play them at a time when I know I’ll actually finish them and not get distracted by other things!

I'm playing it there because I asked for it.

I couldn’t imagine not playing these on a handheld. My Vita got a lot of use out of P3P and P4G so I can’t wait to play 5. And let’s be honest, I’ll probably end up buying the other two again lol

I think P3P/P4G will be best on Switch. They require a lot of time and aren't exactly the prettiest. At least technically, the art holds up.

Still unsure whether to get P5R on Switch or not. Accessibility is one thing, but it's going to be blurry with a huge file size...

@N8tiveT3ch Right there with ya.

@WallyWest That's the thing that stump's me. How is P5 suitable for handheld play in short bursts?

The game is over 100 hours long. Often times you'll find yourself in play sessions that last longer than the Switch's battery life.

Not every game is suitable for a handheld. Play it docked on your TV or monitor.

Because a good chunk of the game is visual novel life sim experience which is comfy on a handheld platform. Even the combat is turn based which means you can patiently input your command as you relax laying down on couch

That said skipping P3P because never was a fan of how they gutted overworld exploration outside of the boring Tartarus which is a big part of modern Persona game experience. P4G and P5R will feel like a genuine Persona experience to me and I’ll get on Switch day 1

Main reason is because folks begged for it and got it. Put your money where your mouth is.

Thanks to GamesPass I have no need to buy them. I will though be getting P4 for Switch (even though I’ll be getting it for ‘free’ on Xbox) as I need that on the go and it feels much better portable does that game.

Yup, portable play is why I was hoping Persona 5 would come to Switch for so long. I can't imagine playing a big RPG like Persona being tethered to a TV or a monitor 100% of the time.

Already completed them all on playstation, but in general for games that are on both switch and playstation I always get the ps version, yeah I'm missing out on handheld play but atleast on tv I don't have to worry about battery life running low, plus you getter better visuals, performance, framerates and higher resolution which is more important to me than the ability to play handheld in 720p or less, I've played xenoblade chronicles 2 recently in handheld whilst the misses has the tv and the game looks ugly as hell.

So I don't think the switch is the definitive way to play the persona series, but either way I'm happy millions more people get to play these masterpieces

I've waited a long time for this game to be on switch because I also prefer long RPGs to be played handheld as some mentioned. Sadly, I recently heard that these games are too easy compared to others such as SMT or DQ on their hard/draconian modes, which I found really appealing due to the challenge and having to think each boss cautiously (Although I confess dying a lot) which is part of the fun.

@Slowdive Because it's literally the worst JRPG I've ever played.

I hope they release 1 and 2. I enjoyed those also!

Some of the best JRPG's of all time. I'm currently in the middle of P3P on my Vita.. it's a bit weird, and gloomy, compared to 4 and 5.. But still a hell of a lot better than Tales of Arise or - yuk - Dragon Quest XI..

Persona 5 and Final Fantasy VII remake were the only two games that REALLY tempted me to get a PS4, so now if FF VII remake ever comes out on Xbox, I will no longer have any itch for a PS4.*

I really REALLY hope the Switch port for Persona 5 is well done, but that being said, it is nice to know that I have the option of the Xbox version as backup.

*Nothing against Playstation, I loved my PS3. It just seems that a lot of the big PS exclusive games of the PS4 gen were these huge, sprawling, action-adventure open-world games that no longer interest me the same way that they used to.

@moodycat O.K. If you say so...

@KryptoniteKrunch I feel that. The Switch has really spoiled us in this respect.

@Slowdive He obviously hasn't played too many JRPGs then...

The more this website exists the less I'm inclined to read the comment sections.

You guys need like a nice holiday or something, the amount of toxic negativity is off the charts lately.

These are good if you haven't played them but for somebody like me who has I don't feel the need to play through them again. They're good games but to me personally there isn't much if any replay value once you finish them.

@Varkster I agree 100%. I see it too and I don't mind people having different opinions but there are some who just seem to be negative for the sake of being negative.

"How is P5 suitable for handheld play in short bursts?"

Because of the segmented nature of the gameplay itself. Of the 150 hours or so I spent playing P5R, probably at least half of it was spent playing through segments of gameplay that lasted 5 - 15 minutes each. It's also, IMO, way easier to get through long expository dumps when you can take it in chunks in handheld mode instead of feeling like you need to get through thirty minutes or more of dialogue and cutscenes in one go so you can save and log off the PS4.

Some play sessions will last a long time, yes. Often in dungeons. Thankfully, the Switch has this helpful ability to dock with the TV for such occasions. And if you're playing on a Lite, you can just plug in the power cord and you're good to go.

If "not every game is suitable for a handheld," then, conversely, not every game is suited for pure TV play. And Persona games are at the top of that list for me.

@moodycat I'm not even a huge fan of P4G, and I can think of a lot of JRPGs that are quite a bit worse off the top of my head. How did you happen to come by this opinion? Because even if you don't like it, you should still be able to grant that it's a high-quality product in the way that Compile Heart and Kemco JRPGs never will be.

@Royalblues Because you don't need to set aside 2 or 3 hours at a time for it, you could easily do 2 or 3 in game days within a short time span. This is how i played the original version, it took around 2 months as i had limited gaming time at the time but short bursts at morning and night was how i was playing it, fun fact if i had a Switch back then and it was on Switch i could have lowered it down to month or less.

Played P4 but never P4G Played P3FES but never P3P Played P5 and P5R and I'll still get it.

@WallyWest there's no way you could complete an 100 hour game in one month by playing short bursts in the morning and night.

Let's say you play 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at night every day in a 30 day month then that's 30 hours of game time, so atleast 3 and half months would be needed.

I think playing short bursts is fine as long as there's long play sessions in between otherwise you wouldnt be competing many games, especially jrpgs.

I dont mind long play sessions in handheld mode though tbh, only thing putting me off playing games in handheld mode is the resolution, hopefully the switch 2 has all games in handheld mode at 1080p and no performance sacrifices

I own Persona 5 on PlayStation but have never played it specifically so I could play it on Switch, the fact that it is the Royal version is icing on the cake. The Switch is made for games like this imo.

@WallyWest @Ralizah Very good answers. I can't really argue with your reasonings. Personally, I know that when I'm in for a lot of reading in a short time, I'd prefer to do it on a bigger screen TV (provided tne font is at a decent size, amd doesn't look like a window of text on a PC). And when I know I'm going to play a game that demands a lot of time from me, I'd play it docked. I typically reserve handheld mode for in-and-out games like Smash, MK8 and games of that nature. But I know I'm not everyone, and some people enjoy playing on their bed or on the bus. But if you know you're going to be playing one playthrough of the game for months and you're fine with it, that's cool.

And of course, not every game is made for TV play. Just ask the DS family of consoles. We got games we couldn't get anywhere else, and sadly we've lost that.

@Arckadius Only 5 is getting a physical release

https://persona.atlus.com/series/portal/us/

Never played Persona 3 Portable or FES so I'm excited to dive into it for the first time when this launches on Switch eventually.

Persona 4 Golden I'm excited to play again and finally finish it this time. Also excited to restart it because I was a bit passed the point where I couldn't see the true ending so this restart on Switch will help.

Persona 5 Royal. I'm just excited for that as a whole.

I'm even more excited to play these games on the OLED. The colors of P4 Golden and P5 Royal already pop as is so I cannot imagine how they would look on a OLED Switch.

Yes, I know the original Vita was OLED but I had the LCD Vita so I couldn't experience P4 Golden in all it OLED glory.

@Royalblues Oh nice, so you're the one other person on here besides myself who actually seems to prefer Smash as a handheld game! The pick-up-and-play aspect of it is, indeed, why I took so much to Smash 3DS and Ultimate in handheld mode. I barely even touched Melee and the one on Wii U, and never fully understood why I couldn't become invested until Smash 3DS released and I realized the formula, as a non-social person who doesn't host a lot of party game get-togethers, only worked for me when I didn't have to carve out TV time for it.

Ironically, being able to take Smash out with me meant I played with people a lot more. With friends at get-togethers, with randos at conventions, and so on.

For myself, I tend to prefer the TV most for games that are cinematic, engrossing, and not built around grindy or short gameplay cycles (thus why I never played Monster Hunter World). Stuff like Uncharted, The Legend of Zelda, DOOM, and the like. If I have to do a lot of reading, grind a lot, or engage in short gameplay loops, I want it to be on a portable system.

Nice to see this come on the Switch the series seems to have this uniqueness to it that you would usually find on a Nintendo console so it’s only seems natural on the Switch.

It's because Shin Megami Tensei is on the Switch.

I have Persona 1 (the remake), 2 (Both Eternal Punishment and Innocent Sin), 3 and Golden on the Vita. Love playing Persona on handheld. The same with the 3ds Shin Megami Tenseis.

@Royalblues "That's the thing that stump's me. How is P5 suitable for handheld play in short bursts?

The game is over 100 hours long. Often times you'll find yourself in play sessions that last longer than the Switch's battery life."

I've put 27+hrs into the witcher iii, on switch, than other consoles(xbo 12hrs), with better graphics. The portability allows you to game when/where you normally wouldn't. Allowing for extra time/play. But it's all subjective.

You should play them because they are excellent RPGs. Simple! P5 is my favorite game of all time and P3 and P4 are right up there with the best as well. Honestly if you are a fan of JRPGs and never played Persona...whew your in for a treat!

I hope they are good ports with physical versions. Might have to buy Steam, PS, and Switch versions. Atlus take my money.

I have P4G on Vita and was really enjoying it up until the point the combat started. I suck at RPGs in general and was enjoying it more for the story and the overall atmosphere of the world, decided I would bump the difficulty down and…you can’t. Can in the Steam version apparently but have to restart the game entirely on Vita. Shame, might have to get back to it and play through it and if I enjoy it enough I’ll get 5 on Switch

@UltimateOtaku91 You read what i put? I said if i had a Switch with P5 back then i could complete it within a month because i could bring the Switch with me to my job and game handheld, my job was basically sitting on my a** all day in an empty house waiting for random people to turn up to look around, it took me 2 hours to get to this location and usually 3 hours back due to traffic, if not for my 3DS i would have gone mad with boredom hence how i could have easily put a lot of hours into P5 if i had the means to play it handheld back then.

I have P4G on Steam and P5R on PS4. Played through them both both on larger screens and loved them. I am curious to see how this text heavy game will translate to a much smaller screen. I'll be buying the physical copy of P5R on Switch to show my support, and also to see what that 2nd playthrough will look like. It is a shame that P4G and P3P are only digital but i'll pick them up too.

@larryisaman Switch has a Safety mode where you cannot get a game over in battles - very good for if you are more interested in the story/world/social elements.

@koffing Only P5R will be physical

Surprised a lot of people can't figure out why long games become pick-up-and-put-down games on the Switch. Am I the only person who uses the Home button (or the sleep function) as a pause button for those times when a game doesn't allow pausing? Never had an issue on any game doing that all these years, and is one of the reasons I chose to get a Switch, game interruptions being a big part of being a dad to two toddlers.

Anyway, glad to be able to finally see what all the fuss is about with P5. The last Persona game I played was P3P and its FES counterpart, of which the latter was the superior one, confusing me as to why they didn't go for that one instead.

no need to convince me. i will be picking up the switch versions of Persona 4 Golden, Persona 5 Royale, and Persona 3 Portable on release, and then get the PC versions of Persona 3 Portable and Persona 5 Royale afterwards.

@moodycat i like P4G better than 3 or 5...

What is a lovely Zion? Is that a person's name, or a title, or...?

@calbeau I love that aspect of switch, but now Xbox series has quick resume, which is basically the same thing, except u can actually turn the console off.

@ChromaticDracula I didn't like 3, it stripped out lots of the interaction in between dungeons, u just click on pictures & read text. It wasn't immersive to me. 4 or 5 are completely different, so i don't think u could choose wrong. If u play either first, u should still enjoy the one u didn't choose enough when u play it next. The stories aren't connected.

I wonder what prices are gone be for switch version. This games are perfect for handheld. My steam deck should come after q3, if there is a big difference in prices btw switch version and steam, i would take the steam version.

Is it truly pick up and play? Can you save anywhere or does it have those dreadful save points?

I'm glad I followed my gut on this one and waited! Got Danganronpa on steam three months before the superior switch version!

Can't wait to play these, especially 5! THAT MUSIC!! 4 looks slick as hell and I really loved the characters when I played the first Persona Q!

@PhhhCough Word. I forgot my own time with P4G on my Vita. I loved playing many games on my Vita, including RPGs like Grandia. I took my Vita to my college back then as well as my 3DS. Shame it broke though. It had a gorgeous OLED screen. Never finished Persona 4 because of that. Welp, now is my chance at redemption.

For some reason, the Switch has failed to recapture the magic that the Vita had and the 3DS had especially. Like @Ralizah said, taking the 3DS out was fun, especially for me, who lived in NYC at the time. It was so awesome playing my 3DS, and then some guy or gal would come in on one train stop see what you were doing and bring out their own 3DS to join you. I could be wrong, but I haven't felt as much incentive to do the same thing with the Switch. And I used to take it everywhere with me. To work, to locals, etc.

And yeah, I love portable Smash. I don't mind playing Smash with a non-Gamecube controller. In fact, in the Wii days, my main way of playing Smash was with the Wiimote and Nunchuck and I would still kick butt lol.

@twztid13 all noted… these are great pointers. If I’m going to be reading, I’d like it to be immersive and interactive. Given that 5 is coming out first and then 3/4, there’s no doubt I’ll be going with 5 first be default. Either way I can’t wait to play this/these on the couch.

@Royalblues for me, the switch being my first portable handheld, I didnt really have that "camaraderie" that the 3ds users had with each other. I think the novelty of playing triple A games, anywhere, wore off after a few years. But I still bring it with me to the dmv, doctors waiting rooms, work, etc. It may not be the first thing I bust out, as I've started to enjoy reading again, but I still play it on a regular. Mainly single player games, so the attraction of others isn't really there for me. Me: If I wanted to socialize, I surely wouldnt have brought my switch and a plethora of singleplayer games.

Poor Mario & Rabbids, releasing the day prior. Of course, the target audiences aren't exactly the same, but they likely have enough overlap.

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