Sony has hit a major milestone in its home country, as 2 million PS5s have now sold in Japan. While it's a big achievement, various complications have slowed the sales of the PS5 consoles since their release.
At this point in time, Sony has shipped over 20 million PS5s across the planet, although some players have still struggled to find one for sale. Due in combination to console scalping as well as parts shortages and COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the PS5 has seen success, but not as readily as its predecessors.
According to a report by Famitsu, as of October 23, the PS5 has officially sold 2 million units in its home country. Of those consoles, less than 300,000 were the digital edition variant, indicating that Japanese players still prefer physical media to play their games off of. While two million units sold is a big deal, the PS5 has fallen behind its predecessors in terms of reaching that goal, with the PS4 only taking 90 weeks to sell that many, the PS3 73 weeks, but the PS5 taking 101 weeks.
Sony's console line has sold well in Japan from the start, and the PS5 is no exception, but shortages have made it difficult to get one. Scalping is an issue all over the world, and many stores in Japan still require potential buyers to enter a lottery in order to get the chance to actually buy the system. While PS5 shipments and manufacturing have been ramped up, there's likely still many people in Japan who wish they had the latest console but haven't been able to track one down.
However, with that said, the Nintendo Switch continues to be a dominant force in Japan for this console generation, with the system selling over 5 million units in Japan alone in 2021, and now having reached 25 million units sold in the country overall. Part of this dominance is due to the Switch finding its footing before the pandemic began, and many players looking to the relatively affordable system for entertainment during the lockdowns across the world.
Mobile gaming has also gained a great deal of popularity over the years in Japan as phones have become more powerful and high-quality games for mobile devices have become more plentiful. Pulling out a phone or Nintendo Switch to play games during downtime traveling to and from work or school is a popular choice in Japan, whereas a console that can only be used at home may see slightly less playtime reserved for it. It may take some time before it becomes clear if the PS5 can follow in the footsteps of its predecessors in Japan, though regardless of the outcome, there's no doubt that the PS5 has launched under unique circumstances, with the COVID-19 pandemic well underway when it hit store shelves.
Source: Famitsu (Via VideoGamesChronicle)