Sony’s PlayStation 4 launched in Japan last year, and it appears to have been the best performing console in the territory subsequently, with it finishing the year as the bestselling home console. The PS4 sold 970,677 units, soundly beating Nintendo’s Wii U, which sold 618,150 units, and Microsoft’s Xbox One, which also launched in the territory last year, and put forth a ghastly 43,267 units.
Of course, home consoles in general put forth terrible numbers- the best performers of the year in the territory were the Nintendo 3DS, with 3,176,525 units sold, followed by the PlayStation Vita, with just 1,168,570 units.
On the whole, this all paints a very grim picture for the Japanese market- the highest selling platform in the region, the 3DS, is currently in the midst of a severe YoY downturn, that not even the release of an extensive new model could stem, while the Wii U dropped off a cliff in spite of the release of games such as Mario Kart and Smash Bros. Vita sales seem to have cratered, and there seems to be no interest in the PS4 at all.
Hopefully, the Japanese market can recover, and hopefully, all major platforms in the territory see a much better year this year.
Thanks, DualShockers.
