Atlus has confirmed Persona 5 Royal owners on PlayStation 4 will not have a free upgrade to the game’s PS5 port.

Fans have taken notice to one particular question and answer on the game’s Japanese FAQ page:

“We’re sorry, but there are no items for purchasers of Persona 5: The Royal for PlayStation 4 in this game,” the FAQ reads.

The company added, “When you play on your PlayStation 5, we hope you can purchase Persona 5: The Royal for PlayStation 5.”

This would confirm the fears that many have already had, that owners who played Persona 5 on the PlayStation 4 will, in fact, have to repurchase the game instead of paying for either an upgrade or getting it for free.

From a business perspective, this would make sense, Persona 5 Royal had a large install base on the PS4, therefore an upgrade would cut into the profits of the PS5 release substantially.

However, this is no less disappointing for fans who, like me, may have already purchased both Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal on PlayStation 4 before.

Persona 5 Royal is set to release on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5 on October 21, 2022.