For PlayStation 4 players who own Persona 5 Royal and want a simple upgrade to their new system, developer Atlus confirmed that’s not in the cards. In an FAQ on the game’s Japanese website, Atlus said that PS4 owners will have to rebuy the PS5 version of Royal.
“There are no products for purchasers of Persona 5 Royal for PlayStation 4,” wrote Atlus in a translated post. “We would appreciate it if you bought Persona 5 Royal for PlayStation 5 when you play with PlayStation 5.”
Atlus originally released Royal in 2020 on PS4 as an enhanced version of 2017’s critically-acclaimed Persona 5. The Royal version features improved graphics and additional gameplay features, along with a new Phantom Thief member named Kasumi Yoshizawa. Along with the PS5, Royal will be available on PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch on October 21.
Following Royal’s release, Atlus will release current generation versions of Persona 4 Golden–a 2012 enhanced version of the original 2008 Persona 4 game–and Persona 3 Portable, a 2010 enhanced version of 2006’s Persona 3. Unlike Royal, however, Golden and Portable will be available on PC and all current generation systems except PS5.
PlayStation’s upgrade woes continue
Sony’s handling of upgrading games from PS4 to PS5 has been notably difficult since the PS5 was initially announced. Those who buy physical PS4 versions of games and want to play the PS5 versions have to keep the PS4 disc in the console to play the digital PS5 copy.
When Horizon Forbidden West released earlier this year, Sony enabled free upgrades from PS4 to PS5 after initially telling players they would have to buy one of the game’s more expensive editions to get the PS5 upgrade. Though Sony reversed course on that, its confirmed its first party games post-Forbidden West, such as Gran Turismo 7 and God of War Ragnarok, would require paying $10 for a PS5 upgrade.
