“PS5 Continues to be the Top-Selling Console in Japan: Maintains its Lead for Another Week.” PS5 outsold all Nintendo Switch models and became the top-selling hardware for the week of Jan 23-29, according to Famitsu sales charts reported by Gematsu. PS5 sold 53,256 units, surpassing Switch OLED, standard Switch, and Lite sales.
As of October 2022, the PS5 has achieved sales of over 1.7 million units in Japan, compared to the Xbox Series X, which has sold around 160,000 units. In November 2020, Sony and Microsoft introduced their current-gen video game consoles, offering cost-friendly, lower-spec versions.
While the PS5 Digital Edition was less popular than the standard model, the Xbox Series S sold better than the Xbox Series X. The Nintendo Switch OLED Model, released in October 2021, has sold over 2.7 million units since its launch.
The PS5 remains ahead in the gaming console market, as seen by its recent sales data that show it as the top-selling console in Japan last week. Despite being released in November 2020, the PS5 has been challenging to get hold of due to factors such as limited production of its hardware components and supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors combined result in a persistent scarcity of the highly sought-after device. The PS5’s achievement of being the top-selling console in Japan for a week is considered a win for Sony, even though Nintendo’s consoles still hold a significant portion of the market share.
Despite Nintendo’s near monopoly in the game software market, “Gran Turismo 7” was able to break into the top 10 and reach the ninth place. “One Piece Odyssey,” which had a successful launch, has dropped in the rankings to 11th place on the PS4 and 14th place on the PS5.
The strong sales of the PS5 console have also influenced the sales of games exclusive to the console. The factor of console exclusivity plays a crucial role in the robust hardware and software sales of the newer Nintendo Switch.
In Japan, the video game market is dominated by Nintendo Switch exclusive games, with “Pokemon Scarlet & Violet” at the top of the charts, followed by “Splatoon 3,” “Nintendo Switch Sports,” and “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition.”
During a virtual conference at the PlayStation Partner Awards in December 2022, Jim Ryan, head of PlayStation, spoke about the widespread shortage of PS5 consoles. He expressed remorse for the inconvenience caused to customers and reassured them that the supply problems had been efficiently resolved. Ryan stated that consumers in Asia and Japan could expect to easily purchase the PS5 during the busy holiday shopping season and into 2023.
Overview of the Japanese Gaming Market :
The Japanese console gaming market is a thriving industry and is considered the third-largest gaming market globally. The market encompasses handheld and home gaming consoles and generates billions of Japanese yen in revenue each year. The industry has seen a resurgence in recent years, particularly with the successful launch of the Nintendo Switch in 2017. In 2023, the PS5 saw an increase in sales in Japan as supply issues were resolved, becoming the top-selling console in the country, outpacing Nintendo’s sales but underperforming compared to the digital version. On the other hand, the Xbox Series X/S from Microsoft saw limited sales in the same period. The top-performing video games in Japan have the potential to sell millions of copies annually, and Nintendo dominates the software market with a near monopoly.
The Japanese gaming market is the third largest in the world, and despite the growing impact of smartphone gaming, the combined market for handheld and home consoles still generates billions of yen in revenue. The Japanese video game market is a significant contributor to the global gaming industry, with the potential for top-performing titles to sell millions of copies annually. The launch of the Nintendo Switch in 2017 marked a revival in the gaming console industry, which had seen declining sales figures.
Famitsu said the PS5 was the best-selling gaming console in Japan in the week ending January 29th, 2023, with 62,908 units sold. This surpassed the sales of Nintendo’s consoles, which had a total of 51,108 units sold during the same period. The digital version of the PS5 was less prevalent, with fewer than 10,000 units sold, while the Xbox Series X/S from Microsoft had limited sales, with only about 1,200 units sold during the same period.
Prominent Companies in the Japanese Video Game Industry
Japan is home to several major video game companies, including Bandai Namco, Square Enix, Konami, Capcom, and Sega. These companies are known for producing popular game franchises like “Final Fantasy” and “Street Fighter,” which are highly regarded in Japan and have a large global fan base.