Japan’s New Language Locked PS5 Hasn’t Made a Massive Difference to the Format’s Domestic Fortunes

by

According to reports, the new head of PlayStation, Hideaki Nishino, was concerned about declining sales in Japan. He quickly approved a less expensive, Japan-exclusive version of the console hoping to boost numbers in his home country.

Previously, the company seemed content with its position in its own country and didn’t aggressively compete with Nintendo to regain market share.

However, Nishino, being Japanese, had a different opinion and launched the more affordable, Japan-only version on November 21st.

For the standard Digital Edition, the price dropped from around $473 (¥72,980) to $350 (¥55,000), returning it to the original price before significant increases in 2024.

But the impact, alongside a surging Switch 2, has been minimal so far.

Sales figures from Famitsu show the new model sold well after its release, with 36,983 units sold in the first two weeks and 35,786 in the second – a noticeable improvement compared to previous months.

According to the magazine’s most recent report, total PlayStation 5 sales reached 18,912 units. This is a bit lower than the 21,574 units sold during the same period last year. While the PS5 Pro was recently released, it only accounted for 5,504 units that week and didn’t significantly change the overall sales numbers.

Despite the release of a more affordable version, PlayStation 5 sales in Japan haven’t really changed much.

Without restrictions on what players can say, the sales figures might have been even lower this year. So, Sony might have at least prevented things from getting much worse.

But it’s hard to see what else the company can do here.

Popular games previously exclusive to PlayStation, such as Resident Evil Requiem, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, and the Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties bundle, are now available on the new Switch 2. This means Sony no longer has a clear edge in having those titles available only on its platform.

The PS5’s large size and the fact that it’s meant to stay in one place don’t quite fit with how people live in Japan. Also, Sony doesn’t have any games that are as culturally popular as Nintendo’s Mario and Pokémon franchises.

I’m hearing Nishino isn’t giving up, which is great! And it sounds like Sony’s actually working on a handheld console of their own – maybe it’ll come out when the PS6 does. Apparently, it could be a big hit over in Japan, too. I’m really excited to see what they come up with!

Since there aren’t many exciting games only available on PlayStation, and more Japanese game developers are considering the new Nintendo Switch as a platform for their games, Sony has a real challenge ahead of it.

It’s clear that price isn’t the sole reason PlayStation is struggling in Japan.

Read More

2025-12-19 12:07