Persona 5 Strikers Release Time: When Can You Start Playing?

Persona 5 Strikers is nearly here, so fans don’t have to wait much longer to get their hands on this direct sequel to the original game. Even though it’s already been out for quite some time in Japan, the fully localized English version is just days away. The game ditches the turn-based RPG formula of the base game and trades it for a real-time Musou-style action combat system that pits the Phantom Thieves against massive hordes of shadows. It still retains a lot of aspects of the original, however, so there’s a lot for diehard fans to look forward to. Here’s the exact time you can start playing Persona 5 Strikers on PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.

Persona 5 Strikers Release Time

Persona 5 Strikers will be released on February 23, 2021. If you purchase the deluxe edition, you can start playing the game four days early on February 19. Regardless of which version you buy, the game will unlock at roughly midnight local time in your time zone. The exact release time varies depending on your platform of choice. On PlayStation 4, the game will be released on February 23 at 12:00 AM ET, meaning those of you in the central and western time zones can start playing a few hours before midnight. If you’re playing the game on PC, then it will unlock on Steam at 12:00 PM ET like most other Steam releases.

On Nintendo Switch, things get a bit more complicated. Some digital games unlock at midnight eastern time, while others do not unlock until the following morning. Typically the midnight treatment is reserved for first-party Nintendo titles, but Persona 5 Strikers has a decent chance of being available at 12:00 AM ET on February 23 for Nintendo Switch. If the game is not playable at that time, then it will unlock the next morning at 12:00 PM ET, which is also when the eShop tends to update.

To recap, here are the exact unlock times for Persona 5 Strikers on every platform:

• PS4: 12:00 AM ET on February 23
• Nintendo Switch: 12:00 AM local time or 12 PM ET on February 23
• PC: 12:00 PM ET on February 23

When Can You Preload the Game?

You can currently preload the game on PlayStation 4. The game weighs in at roughly 12 GB. Preloading is not yet available on Nintendo Switch and PC. Preloads will likely become available on all platforms once the game is released for digital deluxe edition owners on February 19. If they can download the game, then there’s no reason everyone shouldn’t be able to. Of course, this is all just speculation, anyway. You won’t be able to start the game until February 23 unless you buy the deluxe edition, either.

Persona 5 Strikers will be released on February 23, 2021 for PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. The deluxe edition of the game will release three days earlier on February 19.