Renai, Hajimemashite comes to PS5, PS4 and Switch in 2027
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AirVelocity will bring ASa Project's romance visual novel to PS5, PS4 and Switch on March 25, 2027, with a Switch physical edition and a six-item limited box.
AirVelocity, the console publishing arm of INt creative, announced on Thursday (12) that Renai, Hajimemashite (恋愛、はじめまして) will launch for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on March 25, 2027 in Japan. Developed by ASa Project, the romance visual novel first came out on PC on February 28, 2025, and is now getting its first living-room console release: the Switch version will be available both physically and digitally, while both Sony consoles will be download-only.
The announcement was made by the publisher on social media and on the newly opened official website, which presents the title as AirVelocity's third project. The standard edition and the digital version cost 7,480 yen plus tax, or 8,228 yen. The limited edition, bundled with six collector's items, is priced at 14,980 yen, or 16,478 yen with tax included. The age rating is still pending CERO review, the Japanese board that certifies games for the local market.
What changes in the console version
The biggest difference from the original release is distribution. On Nintendo Switch, Renai, Hajimemashite will have a physical box and will also be sold on the eShop, keeping the game on Japanese store shelves and in collectors' hands. On PS5 and PS4, AirVelocity chose a digital-only format, with no disc. That is a common approach for visual novel ports: manufacturing physical media only pays off when the installed base is large enough, and niche audiences tend to migrate to downloads.
| Platform | Format | Japanese price |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch | Physical and digital | 7,480 yen (8,228 with tax) |
| PlayStation 5 | Digital only | 7,480 yen (8,228 with tax) |
| PlayStation 4 | Digital only | 7,480 yen (8,228 with tax) |
| Limited edition (Switch) | Physical, with six bonuses | 14,980 yen (16,478 with tax) |
Digital pre-orders are expected to open in late February 2027, according to the official website. So far there is no word on physical pre-orders in the West, nor on a possible PC release outside Japan.
From PC to consoles: the road so far
Renai, Hajimemashite is an ASa Project title, a brand known in the Japanese visual novel market for light-hearted romantic comedies and eccentric heroines. The original game shipped on February 28, 2025 for Windows on DVD-ROM, with full voice acting and Full HD resolution. Seven months later, on September 26, 2025, the developer released a bonus disc, Renai, Hajimemashite Mini Fan Disc Summer Vacation, with additional stories for players who had already finished the main campaign.
The console version is handled by AirVelocity, INt creative's label dedicated to bringing PC titles to Switch, PS4 and PS5. The company has done the same for other games in the group, such as Koi ni wa Amae ga Hitsuyou desu and Sugar*Style. The official site calls this its third project, a sign that the publisher is betting on a steady catalogue of ports for the Japanese market.
The creative team is the same as the PC release. Direction is by Amato (天都), the script is by Nanoka Yoka (八日なのか), and character design and illustrations are by 冬壱もんめ, うなさか, さくらねこ and 夕凪セシナ. The theme song is performed by Inori Tōka (燈華いのり). For the console versions, AirVelocity is expected to preserve the full text and adapt only the interface, which has been the publisher's pattern in previous ports.
For players outside Japan, the news comes with an important caveat: the announcement is strictly domestic. There is no mention of English, Portuguese or Spanish subtitles, and ASa Project has no track record of official Western releases. Anyone wanting to follow the genre abroad depends on fan translations or later ports announced by other publishers.
The story: a protagonist who still has to become one
The premise centers on Iori Ogata, a student who arrives at school before everyone else, sits through classes without paying attention and counts the minutes until he can go home. With no friends and no girlfriend, he already considers his youth over. That changes when a self-proclaimed angel descends in front of him amid cherry blossoms and says she wants a world overflowing with happiness.
“If you really are an angel, then make me happy.”
“What is that, a marriage proposal? You can't save someone who won't try to be happy on their own, not even I can.”
“Happiness… what would that be?”
“Well, that's obvious: love, isn't it?”
From then on, the “little angel” moves into his house, charges him food and shelter in exchange for romantic advice and promises to bless him until the day he finally becomes the protagonist of his own story. The comic catch is that the visitor is a self-confessed fraud: a girl dressed as an angel, with no powers, who talks like a demon and reveals nothing about her own past.
The structure is that of a social-rebuilding comedy. Instead of heading straight for the heroines, the game leans on friendships, a part-time job and online games as bridges to relationships. The developer describes the project as an experience of “reliving your youth,” in which the player watches someone grow who needs to learn how to talk before learning how to love.
Four heroines and a full voice cast
The game has four main routes and a large supporting cast. Voice acting is complete, with the exception of the protagonist, and the official site confirms eye animation for the characters, a feature that adds life to dialogue scenes. The cast names are kept in Japanese, as is standard for releases without a Western localization.
| Character | Profile | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Tenshi-chan | Self-proclaimed angel, intrusive housemate and the engine of the plot | 奏雨 |
| Yukari Aizawa | Famous model and classmate, hopeless at looking after herself | 逢真井もこ |
| Komaru Inuya | Underclassman with a doglike temper and boundless curiosity | 相模恋 |
| Himeno Fuga | Upperclassman who wants to be treated like a princess, with no talent for making friends | そらまめ。 |
| Iori Ogata | Unvoiced protagonist and narrator of his own “rebuilding” | No voice |
Limited edition: six bonuses and a brand-new drama CD
The special box exists only for the Switch version and gathers items aimed at collectors. There are six bonuses, including a B2 tapestry with exclusive Tenshi-chan art, an acrylic stand featuring the package art, the original soundtrack on CD and a drama CD recorded specially for the release. Two promotional cards for the Lycee OVERTURE and DIVINE CROSS card games complete the package.
- B2 tapestry with an exclusive Tenshi-chan illustration;
- Acrylic stand featuring the package art;
- Original soundtrack CD;
- New drama CD, with voices recorded for the edition;
- Lycee OVERTURE promotional card with exclusive limited-edition art;
- DIVINE CROSS promotional card with the package art.
The drama CD is titled “Formation! The Four KoiHaji Sisters!?” and turns the heroines into sisters after a domestic mix-up. The preview released by the publisher is a squabble over who would be the eldest, complete with jabs about birth order and each one's personality. It is the kind of extra that tends to sell out fast in Japan, where limited visual novel editions have controlled print runs.
“You can't just wave it away with ‘it worked out.’ The whole foundation changed.”
“Hmm… is that the invisible hand of God?”
“Yeah, yeah, it's just the mood of the moment, right? …Right!?”
“Then no one objects to Komaru being the eldest sister, my little sisters!”
Why the announcement matters
ASa Project is one of the labels under INt creative, alongside HOOKSOFT and SMEE, and has built a loyal base with romantic comedies that avoid heavy drama. Japanese outlets describe Renai, Hajimemashite as a spiritual successor to Koibana Renai, leaning into the developer's idea of the “definitive youth” experience. On consoles, the port represents a chance to reach players who do not game on PC, especially on Switch, where the genre has found a new home in recent years.
The move also sheds light on AirVelocity's strategy. Rather than creating original games, the publisher licenses titles that already have a reputation and re-releases them with interface improvements and controller support. It is a low-risk model that has worked in Japan and explains why the announcement arrived with a firm date, a set price and bonuses already detailed — everything a fan needs to pre-order early.
For those following the visual novel market, the title joins a wave of releases mixing comedy, friendship and personal growth. The studio behind Needy Streamer Overload also announced a game about a toxic routine, while The Grimm Reapress confirmed its Western release — two examples of how the genre is diversifying. The difference is that Renai, Hajimemashite bets on gentle affection, with no villains and no catastrophic endings.
What we still don't know
The announcement does not clarify whether the console version will include the content of the Summer Vacation bonus disc or whether that material will be sold separately. There is also no confirmation on resolution and frame rate for PS5 and PS4, nor on features such as quick save or an image gallery. The CERO rating is pending, which could change presentation details in more daring scenes.
On the commercial side, the absence of any mention of Western languages is the most relevant point for players outside Japan. So far, ASa Project has not announced an English, Spanish or Portuguese localization, and AirVelocity does not usually operate outside the domestic market. Any international version would depend on another publisher, as has happened with other titles in the genre.
The Japanese release is set for March 25, 2027, a Thursday. The Switch limited edition and the PS5 and PS4 digital versions are expected to open pre-orders in late February. Readers can follow updates on the official AirVelocity website, the ASa Project portal and the original Gematsu report.
Meanwhile, the visual novel market remains split between PC, still the debut platform, and consoles, which offer reach and living-room comfort. Renai, Hajimemashite tries to occupy both spaces with the same story of a boy who needed a thoroughly unreliable little angel to discover that his youth was not over yet. For fans outside Japan, all that is left is to hope for a localization — or to learn Japanese by March 2027. More news about the port should surface as the date approaches, and our games hub follows every update.
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