At long last, Atlus’ critically acclaimed JRPG “Persona 5 Royal” by developer Atlus makes its way to the Nintendo Switch after long being trapped as a PlayStation 4 exclusive title, not to mention the other platforms the game has been let loose onto, such as the PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X and Steam. However, considering those platforms are just as powerful, if not more so than the PlayStation 4, their good performance on those systems are no surprise. With the Switch significantly less powerful than the rest of the competition due to its portable hybrid nature, though, whether or not it could run well on the Switch has been a hotly debated topic. However, Atlus has finally put the debate to rest with a wonderful Switch port that runs like a dream.

When discussing “Persona 5 Royal’s” performance on the Switch, it’s important to note that the game is an updated re-release of “Persona 5,” which launched in 2017 as both a very late PlayStation 3 title and a PlayStation 4 title. If the base game was able to perform decently on PlayStation 3, undoubtedly, the Nintendo Switch would be able to handle the JRPG juggernaut, considering that the Switch is more powerful than the PlayStation 3, even if some shoddy port jobs to the Switch try to say otherwise. To put it into perspective, according to Versus, the Switch has 2.5 times the CPU speed of the PS3 and features 3.75GB more RAM memory.

With that noted, regardless if the Switch is more powerful or not, “Persona 5 Royal” on Switch is a miracle port, as the “Persona” series used to be PlayStation exclusive, with the exception of “Persona 4 Golden’s” steam port. Despite “Persona 5’s” protagonist, Joker, being the first revealed DLC character for “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,” “Persona 5” would not be released on Nintendo platforms. However, all this changed on June 28, as in celebration of the “Persona” series’ 25th anniversary, it was revealed in a video that the updated re-releases of the last three “Persona” titles would be arriving on Nintendo Switch, including “Persona 5 Royal.” 

It must be said that between all three major gaming console competitors, Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox, JRPGs feel just at home on the Switch. JRPGs, especially 100+ hour long experiences such as “Persona 5 Royal,” tend to be much more a commitment on home consoles such as the PlayStation and Xbox., but with the Switch, it became much easier to chip away at “Persona 5 Royal’s” lengthy campaign as once you had to get busy, it was as easy as putting the console into sleep mode and carrying on with your day until your next play opportunity. Not to mention the immense sales of the Switch; it’s easy to see how the Switch port has not only made the game more accessible, but easier to see through to the very end.

As for the technical details of the port, the Switch version of “Persona 5 Royal” runs at a stable 30 frames per second. While it may be disappointing for some that the frame rate isn’t 60, it should be noted that the original PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 versions also ran at 30, meaning the game is no choppier than the original releases. The texture quality and in-game resolution are lower than the original PlayStation 4 release as well as a lack of anti-aliasing, but with the crisp, 1080p HUD and UI, it’s hardly a noticeable change when immersed in the gameplay, as “Persona 5 Royal” is a game far more reliant on its art direction over sheer graphical fidelity. Load times are admirable too, as at worst, it only takes about six seconds for any given area to load, and even that is masked by the stylish transitions the game uses when changing between areas.

“Persona 5 Royal’s” on Switch is a wonderful port that succeeds in bringing the critically acclaimed JRPG experience to Nintendo fans, as well as a wider audience. While downgraded in some ways, the Switch port is a more than valid way to experience all that “Persona 5 Royal” has to offer. Its portable nature helps chip away at the game’s colossal campaign, and is well worth your time.