Persona 3 Reload ended up being fantastic on the PS5 and, even though I still can’t be Kotone Shiomi in it, it’s equally lovely on the Switch 2. That’s it. It’s great.
…I guess I should elaborate, huh? Sure.
Ever since Persona 3 Portable on the PSP, I’ve really loved playing entries in Atlus’ series on handheld devices. I like to try and do it all, and being able to to do that while not bound to a couch and single TV or desk helps. For my first Persona 3 Reload run, I was limited to the PS5. I didn’t have any sort of handheld gaming PC, and I made due. It felt true to my original Persona 3 FES run and ended up being absolutely fine. But now that I did play Persona 3 Reload on the Switch 2, I’m stunned by how well it works and love that return to enjoying it anywhere at any time.
Part of this is due to Persona 3 Reload making a great first impression on the Switch 2. The opening hours look great. I played primarily in Handheld mode, and it’s a game that looks great in 1080p on that screen. It ran at 30fps and felt rather consistent, though I did notice some of the frame-pacing issues in some smaller spaces like enclosed school hallways and occasionally in Tartarus. I honestly think the full game seemed to perform better than the demo. I don’t know if it’s a result of Atlus taking feedback into account or some last minute touch-ups, but it really ran and looked good. (I was on 1.01 when playing.) When I did play briefly while docked, of course it didn’t identical to the PS5 version. But it’s very impressive in handheld mode.
Another performance element I appreciate with the Switch 2 version of Persona 3 Reload involves the loading times. The transitions between locations and fights in Tartarus is incredibly swift. It’s a matter of seconds. I’m always more annoyed by loading than things like frame-pacing issues, so that could be a part of why I felt so okay with how this iteration of the title performs. I’m quickly getting and out of things. It looks lovely on my screen in Handheld mode. It’s a solid JRPG that I already know I adore. Playing Persona 3 Relaod on the Switch 2 makes me happy. All’s well.
Which is really at the heart of playing a massive JRPG like Persona 3 Reload on the Switch 2. You ideally want an experience that feels amazing when played anywhere at any time. The Handheld mode performance feels so strong. I could spend hours grinding in dungeons and take my time plotting out my daily life to optimize social link relationship building. It felt incredibly comfortable on the system. Battery life does get to be an issue in extended Switch 2 gaming sessions, so that does prove a problem. However, that’s not on Atlus. I would say I’d probably get at least three hours of game time when it wasn’t plugged in.
I also think of the Switch 2 release of Persona 3 Reload as a sign of things to come. When Zion Grassl at Nintendo Life spoke with Director Yoshihiro Komori, he noted, “[the team] prioritized delivering the Switch 2 version to everyone as quickly as possible” and stated “…this was the Persona Team’s first time developing for the Switch 2.” Considering this happened within six months of the system’s debut, which puts it within the launch window, it’s an encouraging initial release. After 25 hours in it, I do think the performance feels improved between now and the September 2025 demo debut. It’s a swift turnaround for a new system and encouraging first step for Atlus on a new platform.
Persona 3 Reload is a fantastic JRPG and the Switch 2 port is pretty impressive considering how swiftly it appeared. The frame rate issues seem to be addressed at least a little for the full version, which makes me suspect performance could perhaps even improve further with another patch. It looks fantastic in Handheld mode, with the experience really shining when you can enjoy it at any time. I really appreciate how well it turned out and, now that the Persona Team and Atlus did get this experience, I hope it also means that their next projects will be even more impressive and perhaps even offer us an opportunity to choose between performance or quality options when we play. The Switch 2, like the original, is becoming my default console for games whenever possible, and I love that Persona 3 Reload joined Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal.
Persona 3 Reload will come to the Switch 2 on October 23, 2025, and it is already on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.