Xbox has historically always been bad at getting Japanese games, but things arguably never got as bad for the platform on that front as they are now- as of right now, if you want Japanese games, the Xbox should be the last platform you go to. PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita, PC, all get substantially more Japanese games than Xbox does.
Responding to a fan on Twitter, Xbox head Phil Spencer said that his trip to Japan assures him that more Japanese games are coming. He says there is more work left to be done- but Japanese publishers who want global success look at Xbox as an important part of their success.
But what about Japanese games not targeted at a global audience? What about relatively more ‘niche’ Japanese games, like Persona, which are still hugely popular with a global following? Responding to this question, Spencer said that his trip to Japan assured him that more JRPGs are coming to Xbox One- although he did admit that he knows he has said this before numerous times, too.
How Japanese titles on Xbox One play out from here on out is something that remains to be seen. As things stand now, if you’re a fan of Japanese games, the Xbox may not be what you want.