Sony’s PS5 is currently the best-selling home console in Japan’s recent history, after accusations that the company has neglected the country.
Recently it was revealed that Sony PlayStation 5 is selling worse in Japan than any other domestic console in the country’s recent history. This news comes after many Japanese fans and analysts have publicly accused Sony of not taking the Japanese market seriously.
PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan has denied the validity of these accusations, but recent developments suggest otherwise. Outside of Japan, the PS5 has been incredibly popular, resulting in a shortage of consoles since the beginning of its launch (although finding a PS5 should be easier this year). Of course, the PS5 also faced a shortage of supplies in Japan due to the production difficulties of the COVID-19, but it seems that the console was not received with the same widespread praise in Sony’s home country.
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The translation of a GamesIndustry.biz Japan Edition article of ResetEra User SinCItyAssassin reveals that the PlayStation 5 is set to become the best-selling home console in recent Japanese history. Part of the translation says:
“PS5 sales in the 4th and 5th weeks are about 11,000 units, while in the 6th week it is 17,000 units. These sales are very low. Total sales of 240,000 are by far the lowest in the history of PlayStation home consoles. If that were to continue, lifetime sales on PS5 may be less than half that on PS4. “
The article notes that Japanese gamers can feel that way due to a variety of factors, including Sony’s censorship of games for the Japanese audience, the revelation of this summer’s PS5 without any Japanese narration, the DualSense controller confirmation button being changed from O to X (this was already the case in other countries outside of Japan), and the original allocation for launching PS5 units in Japan was little more than that of the PS3, which prevented early users from purchasing the new console.
Although the PlayStation 4 was so well received globally, according to the chart above, it sold less than the Nintendo GameCube and PS3 in Japan and sold for little more than the Dreamcast (which was on the market for just three years), a trend that could continue with Sony’s latest console. The fact that the PlayStation 5 is so far behind its predecessor is probably not something that Sony wants to happen in its own backyard.
On the other hand, maybe Sony is ok with that being a side effect of its more global approach in recent times. Certainly, the company knew there would be a reaction when it made decisions like switching the X and O buttons or relocating the PlayStation headquarters to California. I mean, maybe Sony is actually ok with its latest console for having less lifespan than Dreamcast in Japan, if that means having the kind of sales success in other countries than PlayStation 4 and 5 I had.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz Japan Edition, ResetEra
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