Microsoft’s Xbox has not historically performed all that well in Japan, but the Series X|S is showing a massive improvement in the country. The console has now sold more than 100,000 units in Japan, according to the latest data from Famitsu.
For comparison, the Xbox One needed 4.5 years to pass 100,000 units sold, according to VGC’s analysis. The Series X|S needed less than a year to reach that milestone.
In terms of sales by platform, the Series X has sold 64,284 units in Japan compared to 38,307 for the Series S, which is curious given Xbox management has said the Series S, actually, was the more in-demand system in the country.
Sony’s PlayStation 5, meanwhile, has shifted around 1.2 million units in Japan so far. It reached 1 million units sold in Japan faster than the PS4.
Overall, Xbox is seeing “phenomenal growth” in Japan, according to an Xbox executive. A “really high percentage” of Xbox consoles sold in Japan are to people who never owned an Xbox before.
Microsoft currently owns one Japanese game studio, Tango Gameworks (The Evil Within, Ghostwire: Tokyo), which it acquired as part of its acquisition of Bethesda/ZeniMax. Microsoft may be looking to acquire another Japanese studio.
Source: Gamespot
