The PS4 is currently killing it in North America and Europe, surpassing seven million units sold within six months as if it were nothing. On its home turf it isn’t faring so well, though.
In the latest Japanese hardware sales figures published by Famitsu, the PS3 outsold the newly-released PS4 by over 100 units during the last month. It’s already slumping in the four digits, similar to Nintendo’s struggling Wii U.
Here are the numbers:
1. Nintendo 3DS LL – 20,619
2. PS Vita – 12,844
3. PS3 – 7,060
4. PS4 – 6,887
5. Wii U – 6,836
6. Nintendo 3DS – 4,821
7. PSP – 1,320
8. PS Vita TV – 855
9. Xbox 360 – 132
It’s not like it has recently taken a dive, either. Its week 2 Japan sales were at a record-breaking low for a new system. This is an ongoing problem for Sony.
The big question is, why is the PS4 struggling in Japan? While I don’t know for sure, there are two factors that are certainly at play, the first of which is software. Japanese consumers have shown in the past that they aren’t nearly as interested in new hardware alone when compared to other parts of the world. They are willing to wait for attractive software, and in particular system sellers that have huge attraction in the country (i.e. Monster Hunter). This was true for the Nintendo 3DS where sales were absolutely abysmal until worthwhile JRPG titles arrived on the platform. Currently, the PS4 has only a handful of games available in Japan, and none of them have been rated particularly well.
Secondly, Japan’s console market has shrunk during the past decade. Its larger cities where a large percentage of its population dwells don’t accommodate large entertainment centers very well. Many of its citizens are on the go a lot, and simply don’t have much interest in home entertainment unless it’s easily justifiable. Furthermore, their interest in handhelds and mobile devices has continued to soar through 2014, while consoles have remained low in demand. That would explain why the 3DS and Vita take the top two spots in the latest sales chart
The PS4 is fine, but Sony has having to adapt to a new climate. Previously, Japan was where it earned a handsome share of its sales. Now, its popularity grows in Europe. This could impact the game library by making Japanese-developed games less prevalent than on the last three PlayStation consoles. Outside of that, it’s nothing to be too worried about for gamers living outside of Japan.
