Persona 4 Golden will be playable on Steam Deck

The Steam Deck software update has gone live that makes Atlus’ seminal role-playing game Persona 4. Golden playable on Valve’s handheld device.

Persona 4. GoldenThe game ‘, released by Steam in 2020 and has been up until this point on the list of games that are definitely wouldn’t Steam Deck is being developed. Valve has been on a testing drive in recent weeks that has rapidly expanded the lists of “Verified” and “Playable” games, but Persona 4. Golden remained officially “Unsupported.”

This has been a source of much disappointment among fans of the Persona games — and fans of handheld gaming. Steam Deck users most anticipated this title.

Persona 4The PlayStation 2 was the first to release this game in 2008, all of which is now over a decade. The game was released on an outdated hardware platform, but it quickly gained a solid reputation with fans. But it wasn’t until the release of the expanded Persona 4. GoldenThe PlayStation Vita handheld’s 2012 version was when the popularity of the game grew, in particular in the West. The improvements to the game were substantial, and it turned out that Atlus’ crisp and stylish combination of daily routine, soapy high school drama, detective story, and occult dungeon crawling worked particularly well as a portable game. A very young Polygon called it a “must-play masterpiece.” It felt as though Persona 4 It had finally found its home.

The handheld Persona experience, despite all this and much frustration from fans, has been elusive since. Sequel Persona 5Its. RoyalFor now, editions are available only on PlayStation home consoles Persona 4. Golden’s Steam release was an unexpected hit— as of June 2021, it had sold a million copies on Valve’s platform — but the Nintendo Switch version many have been clamoring for has so far failed to materialize.

That context allows us to: Persona 4. Golden’s incompatibility with Steam Deck was both disappointing and puzzling. This game was already designed for use with gamepads, making it a relatively easy challenge for Steam Deck’s hardware. Some suggested that licensing problems were the reason for its delay.

Now we know that’s not the case, which is heartening for those looking to buy a Steam Deck when it launches on Feb. 25 — and for everyone else, because it keeps the dream of a Switch release alive.