New on Xbox Game Pass for January: Persona’s portable ports, and Monster Hunter

Three JRPGs all making their debut on modern consoles next week will be available in Xbox Game Pass’ library on the same day: Monster Hunter Rise, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 3 Portable. The two Personas are available to subscribers beginning Jan. 19, and the latest Monster Hunter is available on Jan. 20.

Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden are both ports of ports, broadly speaking, which originated on Sony handhelds more than a decade ago. Atlus launched a version of 2006’s Persona 3 for PlayStation Portable (hence the name) in 2010, and followed that with Persona 4 Golden, an adaptation of 2008’s Persona 4 on PlayStation 2, for PlayStation Vita in 2012.

However, for fans, both versions are distinct enough — Persona 3 Portable added the option to play as a female protagonist — to merit a relaunch on current platforms on Jan. 19. (Persona 4 Golden launched on Windows PC in 2020, and is also compatible with Steam Deck, too.)

Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden also launch on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on Jan. 19. Persona 3 Portable will also be available for Windows PC the same day.

Monster Hunter Rise is Capcom’s latest edition of the action-RPG franchise, first launching for Nintendo Switch in 2021 and coming to Windows PC in 2022. It’s also getting a day-and-date launch on Xbox Game Pass as well as PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on Jan. 20. We enjoyed Rise on the Switch, especially as a game playable on the go, but didn’t find much in the PC adaptation to make it stand out.

Departing Xbox Game Pass on Jan. 15 are three games — Nobody Saves the World, Drinkbox’s novel, top-down action RPG that launched a year ago; The Anacrusis, a 2021 Left 4 Dead-like from a studio founded by Chet Faliszek; and Windjammers 2, Dotemu’s sequel to the 1990 cult hit. Also leaving: Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Pupperazzi, and We Happy Few. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can pick these up for 20% off their usual Xbox store price before they leave.

Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass both cost $9.99 a month. PC Game Pass includes EA Play access, which offers another 70 games on PC. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, at $14.99 per month, gives subscribers access to everything — the PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass libraries, EA Play on both console and PC, and the Cloud Gaming beta — as well as Xbox Live Gold membership, which is needed for online multiplayer.