Persona 3 Portable’s Upscaling Problem
Persona 3 Portable’s new port introduces new fans to a melted version of a cult classic
Persona 3 was initially released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2. Subsequently, in 2009, it was ported to the PlayStation Portable as Persona 3 Portable, taking on a slightly different form with more visual-novel-esque cutscenes and an alternate version of the main campaign with a female protagonist. Since then, there have been no ports or re-releases of the game, meaning fans new and old can only experience the classic for themselves if they have access to a PlayStation 2 (or PlayStation 3) for or a PlayStation Portable and a copy of Persona 3, Persona 3 FES, or Persona 3 Portable that can easily run for a far higher price than its initial release cost.
That is, until 2023, when ATLUS ported Persona 3 Portable to modern consoles with upscaled sprites and backgrounds, allowing new fans to experience a cult classic for the first time, and old fans to re-live a defining game for the Persona series.
However, there is a problem with this: ATLUS’s upscaled backgrounds have come under criticism due to the use of a free AI upscaling tool known as waifu2x, which is not designed for overly pixelated images such as the ones from P3P’s initial release, especially when upscaling them so greatly to 4K. Instead, fans and players got graphics that looked as though they had been melted instead of properly redrawn or upscaled images.
“The program is NOT good with overly pixelated graphics which P3P is full of, so most of the game looks like crap now since everything looks bad,” says one twitter user, attaching a screenshot of the game to support their claim. The image, while higher resolution than the original game, does not look refined and in fact looks worse than the original.
Another user notes much clearer examples of the faults of this AI upscale, causing a character’s hands in one image to look melted together and no longer like hands.
Further screenshots show this strangeness in more detail, including a computer console, set of chairs, posters, and a police station, none of which look at all like what they are supposed to or have been mangled to only partial recognition. Players who played the original game can attest that, even on the PSP, these graphics did not look this unrecognisable.
Fans have even taken to making mods, both of the recent re-release and the original version, to properly upscale the backgrounds for play in HD. Some have even decided not to purchase this re-release and instead emulate the original release.
Hope, however, is not all lost. Some fans have attested to the game looking acceptable on smaller screens — such as the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck — and many don’t find any issue with this AI upscale job. However, many do believe this release is a lazy update, on par with Final Fantasy’s Pixel Remasters and Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne HD.
In short, if you’re looking to play Persona 3 for the first time, it might be in your best interest not to take this opportunity. An insider at ATLUS claims that a proper remake of Persona 3 is in development, though this may be just a rumor. As of writing this, the PlayStation 3 digital storefront is still active — though funds can only be added through PSN gift cards — and Persona 3 FES is available for purchase on the digital storefront. Otherwise, for those unable or unwilling to purchase an outdated system, the four Persona 3 animated films are available on Amazon to digitally rent or purchase.
Persona 3 Portable is newly available for purchase on Steam, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
