Persona Games Legally Available in 2025

Following the release of Persona 5 Royal, Atlus's Persona series has cemented its status as one of the most iconic JRPG franchises. Persona 5 itself is so influential that gaming enthusiasts visit Shibuya station specifically to recreate the famous shot of the Phantom Thieves overlooking the Shibuya Scramble. The station area has since been remodeled, but that perfect photo angle can still be found.

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However, this success unfolded gradually. Persona actually began as a spin-off from Atlus's other major RPG series, Shin Megami Tensei, with the first game launching nearly thirty years ago. Additionally, despite the numbering, there aren't just five mainline Persona titles—there are six. This count doesn't even include the numerous spin-offs, remakes, and enhanced editions. (And for clarity, Metaphor: ReFantazio is not considered a Persona game.)

Exploring this deep, 30-year JRPG history is highly rewarding, though availability varies across titles. Here’s how you can legally play all the mainline Persona games. A quick tip: you might want to track down a PSP.

Revelations: Persona

Revelations: Persona debuted in 1996 for the original PlayStation, with later ports to Microsoft Windows and PlayStation Portable. The protagonists unlock their personas following an intense fortune-telling session. Unfortunately, the most contemporary hardware supporting an official re-release is the PlayStation Classic—Sony's 2018 mini-replica of the first PlayStation.

This means the game is not accessible on modern systems. To play it, you'll need to source a physical copy and have a functioning PS1, PlayStation Classic, or PSP. Still, Atlus has shown dedication to reviving earlier Persona titles, so a remastered version for current platforms may arrive eventually.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2—Innocent Sin

Also titled simply Persona 2: Innocent Sin, this sequel launched on the PlayStation in 1999—but only in Japan. Western audiences in North America and Europe had to wait over a decade for a localized PSP version in 2011. It is also reportedly playable on the PlayStation Vita.

Regrettably, that marks the most recent version. Like Revelations: Persona, there is presently no method to experience Persona 2—Innocent Sin on current-generation consoles.

Innocent Sin focuses on a group of high school students in the fictional city of Sumaru, facing a mysterious antagonist named Joker whose spreading rumors have the power to warp reality itself.

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment

This is the installment that disrupts the straightforward numbering. Eternal Punishment is a direct follow-up to Innocent Sin, released the next year in 2000. The story picks up several months later, still centered on the "Joker Curse," but now seen through the eyes of a new protagonist—a teenage journalist.

Despite its close connection to Innocent Sin, Eternal Punishment had broader distribution. It received a simultaneous North American PlayStation release in 2000. Similar to its predecessor, a PSP remake arrived in 2011, but this version was also distributed via the wider PlayStation Network, allowing PS3 users to download it in 2013.

The downside is that Eternal Punishment isn't playable on modern consoles. The upside is that it's very probable someone at Atlus is proposing a combined remake of both Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment.

Persona 3

Persona 3 marked the series' emergence from the shadow of the Shin Megami Tensei brand. Originally released for PlayStation 2 in Japan in 2006 and North America in 2007, the game follows teenagers grappling with the concept of death as they explore a strange temporal distortion called the "Dark Hour." An expanded edition, Persona 3 FES, featuring an additional epilogue, launched the following year and remains accessible for PS3 owners.

Beyond FES, Persona 3 has seen multiple remakes. A streamlined version, Persona 3 Portable, first appeared on the PSP and was later ported to PS4, Windows, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Physical editions for Xbox One, Switch, and PS4 were released in 2023. Many fans regard Portable as the definitive edition of Persona 3.

The latest iteration is the 2024 remake, Persona 3 Reload, available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows. Reload is particularly tailored for fans of Persona 5 Royal. Physical copies are sold for PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X.

Persona 4

Just two years later in 2008, Persona 4 arrived on the PlayStation 2. This entry adopts a classic murder mystery format, with the teenage cast using their personas to solve a series of killings. It's an understatement to say Persona 4 is adored by its fanbase.

An enhanced version, Persona 4 Golden, released for the PlayStation Vita in 2012. Golden is now the widely available edition, playable on nearly all major platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Physical versions exist for all these systems except PC.

Persona 5

While Persona 4 captured attention, Persona 5 is the title that made the series a household name among gamers. The original launched simultaneously for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in Japan in 2016 and globally in 2017. The enhanced, definitive version, Persona 5 Royal, followed a few years later. Many recall its North American release in March 2020, offering a captivating virtual tour of Tokyo just as the COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread lockdowns.

Persona 5 centers on a protagonist, codenamed Joker, who is falsely accused of assault and moves to Tokyo for a fresh start. He soon becomes entangled in the realm of "palaces"—metaphysical realms born from people's distorted desires. This is the game featuring the Phantom Thieves and their iconic "calling cards."

Availability expanded gradually, and Royal can now be played on most contemporary platforms: PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Both physical and digital copies are available through standard retail channels and online storefronts.