Microsoft saw Xbox sales double in Japan in 2022, Famitsu’s annual gaming report shows (thanks, GamesIndustry.biz). That’s despite Nintendo and Elden Ring dominating the sales charts, and the only Microsoft-owned IP on the list – Minecraft – selling better on Nintendo Switch than any other platform.
Nintendo also outsold Sony and Microsoft on the hardware front, selling 4.8 million units for a lifetime total of 27.7 million. The PS5 has sold 2.4 million units. Meanwhile, Microsoft sold just over 269,000 Xbox Series X|S units, bringing its lifetime total in the country to just over 398,000. The data didn’t mention how large the pool of Game Pass subscribers was.
While that might seem trifling compared to Nintendo’s millions, it’s still a significant milestone for Microsoft.
With only one Japanese game studio – Tango Gameworks – and a vast catalogue of games designed primarily for Western audiences, Microsoft has always struggled to have a strong presence in Japan.
It’s unlikely Microsoft’s upcoming games, such as Redfall, Forza Motorsport, and a few others planned for the first Developer_Direct, will change that trend and see Pokemon levels of popularity any time soon. However, it seems that, in this console generation, interest is gradually starting to rise in the console.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
[mm-video type=video id=01g958amx9p5nyjf46k3 playlist_id=none player_id=01gp1x90emjt3n6txc image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g958amx9p5nyjf46k3/01g958amx9p5nyjf46k3-fc4a3f35405ac36d313db16cba48663c.jpg]
[listicle id=1998281]