Japanese Charts: Switch Dominates As PS5 Price Hike Kills Momentum

No...! 😰
The PS5 sales, please don't go down like Wii U route. 😭
I still need the support of 3rd party kids games for my PS5 machine.

It's a good time to be a fan of Nintendo.

This was a long time coming...
Why Sony has been mistreating the second biggest gaming economy in the world us beyond me
While I think it's overall bad news, the muted response from Sony fans is hilarious

Sony has raised the price of the PS5 three times in Japan in response to the devaluation of the Yen, and now the PS5 is more expensive in Japan than it is in the US. No surprise hardware sales have tanked.

With the PS5 Pro retailing at ¥120000, it will never recover.

Wait, they increased the price of the normal PS5 AGAIN? And announced the PS5 Pro(-fit?)? Is this just in Japan?
Even if it is, I’ll probably get a PS5 next gen at this rate, when it will Have to come down in price, right? Unless I somehow make a windfall in the meantime.

Time to port Astro Bot to the Switch, then!

Sony Probably killed the cheap PS5 export market in Japan with the price rises. Tbf the software numbers make far more sense now.

Honestly thought Astro Bot would see a bit more.

@Yosher

1. Game won’t run on Switch.

2. Why would Sony port their first party game to switch?

3. More likely, they will port it to PC.

It just has not been a very good couple days for PlayStation, hasn’t it? It’s a shame cause Astro Bot legit looks like the closest thing to classic PlayStation in a long while.

Wait until switch 2 release in japan next year, if monster hunter wilds available on switch 2 even though it's only 30 fps I think ps5 will be sort of done there.

Well done Switch.
I wish that had happened in the Europe/UK might get Sony to think twice about their prices.

astro bot sales prove that sony fans are not really interested in 3d platform games as some claimed and wanted sony to make such games..

@anoyonmus
Sod Astro Bot.
Nintendo just make a new Mario 3d game for switch.
Will be 7 years this October, that is too long a gap.
And also not even a new 2d Donkey Kong for Switch. Absolutely ridiculous.

@Nourldean china is bigger and europe is larger japan is the 4th biggest gaming market now..

sony should stick to what they do best and what there fans want story driven games that sell well..

Famitsu charts only really track physical sales, not digital. I'm guessing Astrobot probably did significantly better than reported.

Let us hope the price hike doesn't get Nintendo too excited. Considering Switch is still 300 and the Oled is 350, I'm expecting Switch 2 to cost at least 400 to 450, depending on how many models are available at launch, with a lite model costing less If and when available.

@wiiware I doubt Monster Hunter Wilds can run on Switch 2 tbh.

@Arkay The thing with Nintendo is whether you are a PS5, XBOX, or PC guy. Everyone also has a switch.

@johnedwin Console gaming market? No, it's Japan behind the US. These are Jim Ryan's words as well
China has a big market but it's mobile gaming mostly

@PepperMintRex it's just out of sync with the audience Sony had cultivated the last 20 years.

It doesn't really help that its arguably more cutesy than any Nintendo platformer since Yoshi's Story with a protagonist that looks like a robot toddler.

It'd have been like Nintendo making Splatoon a realistic gritty shooter. Probably isn't impossible for Sony to sell a platformer to its audience but they can't jump from cinematic dark games to cooing robot baby and expect to sell the same. Doesn't matter how good the game is

@anoyonmus Boy will you be in for a shock. The Switch 2 version will sell millions in Japan for the Switch 2.

@Nourldean wukong sales beg to differ china is a gaming powerhouse that is growing larger and as a whole europe is a bigger gaming market then japan of course the us is the biggest and most important gaming market.

sony still hasnt learn their lesson after the ps3 price fiasco at launch.

@johnedwin That's if you combine all of Europe. Japan is still no 2 on individual markets. I know Sony fans want to downplay Japan because of how bad Sony is doing in Japan. Sony losing Japan will hurt them and Sony will lose some big titles.

visions of mana which did not get good reviews sold 30 thousand physical copies in japan it's first week way more then the much heralded astrobot that says it all to me..

@michellelynn0976 they already lost japan...

@johnedwin Wukong in China is probably mostly PC game sales I assume. I am assuming Japan is still 2nd when it comes to console gaming? Like the other guy said?

Japan is also 1st for handheld gaming I believe, now that I think about it? (Not including phones.)

@michellelynn0976 if you mean Astro Bot, please also ask Sony for Spider-Man, God of War, Uncharted for Nintendo console.

And I don’t think the Switch 2 could handle MH Wilds if the game is being built for PS5 in mind. Will the Switch 2 version sell well, sure. But can the game run on Switch 2? Probably not considering Switch 2 will more likely be slightly more powerful than a PS4.

12,672 sales in a vacuum isn't that bad.

But on a game with a budget over $100 million USD, it's freaking atrocious. Sales have been disappointing in the UK as well.

Honestly, I'm not shocked. It's a fantastic game, but I don't think it targets Play Station's demographic at all.

@HeadPirate do you have a link to the UK sales charts.

@HeadPirate also its physical copies. Digital might be a different story. I think we will have to hear from Sony themselves on what they have to say.

Sony put the price up on a 4 year old console that's essentially now deprecated? I guess they are trying to justify the price of the Pro.

@westman98 did not realize it was that high in Japan. I think if I lived in Japan I would seriously consider exiting multi system gaming.

Is this the most Xbox had sold (in total) of all Xbox versions released in Japan?

So, have there been about as many Switch sales just in Japan, near 34 million, as there have been Xbox Series X/S sales worldwide? I can never find the Xbox numbers as MS doesn't really seem to report them. 🤷‍♂️

I know MS doesn't really sell Xbox in Japan so I would never even dare to talk about it but worldwide sales vs just Japan sales seems noteworthy if they are about equal, even if Switch is kinda "last gen" at this point and has been out about 5 years longer give or take. Xbox One(s) sold 58mil which isn't terrible, around S/NES numbers.

@anoyonmus

1. It was a joke.

2. Sony is already working with Nintendo by making the Zelda movie and putting Lego Horizons on Switch.

3. There's always the Switch successor.

4. It was a joke.

Sony has largely written the region off, I think. They probably had their analysts calculate how much they could jack up prices to maximize revenue. Otherwise, their sights are firmly set on wooing and cozying up to China.

@Anti-Matter No worries. PS5 may or may not outsell the PS4, but it has already outsold the Wii U many times over.

That news is so interesting to me.

Like, I haven't owned a Sony console since the PS2 because frankly I hate their branding of "video games but for Serious Adults," so it's personally nice to see them perhaps temporarily losing some ground in the market. 🤭

But I wouldn't have thought Sony's target market would care about a price increase that much, which perhaps suggests how strong of an alternative Nintendo is this generation.

PS5 had momemtum? When was that? Sony are going to be recovering from Jim Ryan for the next couple of generations. Folk think a single game will fix it!

@anoyonmus Huh? I never said it'll get Astro Bot. Also, you are so wrong. The Switch 2 will be able to run Wilds, so you just need to brace yourself. You also gotta remember the DLSS and updated chips that the next Switch will use. To your dismay, the Switch 2 will get Wilds.

@johnedwin They can have their own little niche with those cinematic action adventure games, but if they want a bigger audience they should make games for all genres. Because if you don't like that genre, there's no reason to buy the console.

@johnedwin True. Big time.

@HeadPirate Dring just tweeted the UK sales were solid and 21% ahead of Rift Apart's sales and it's 2nd only behind Warhammer which is the highest selling 40k game ever in the UK.

Price hikes are somewhat understandable given how weak the yen is right now, but what's inexcusable is when Sony switched the "confirm" button from "O" to "X" this gen.
Maru (O) in Japan means good, batsu (X) means bad. Simple, right? Playstations 1~4, homegrown in Japan and enjoyed there for decades, followed that convention. Then they switch it to accommodate foreigners and save Sony a little programming work?? I imagine Japanese gamers will have a grudge against Sony for a long time.

If you don’t show your home market some love then face the consequences…it’s just another American console in Japan now, Japanese in brand name only.

Poor Astro Bot deserves much better.

Even factoring in digital sales, 12 thousand sales on a console with a 5 million user base is terrible.

Sony has abandoned it's home market ages ago. With the price hike and lack of availability to even purchase the PS5 it's no wonder Japan is fed up. In a sense Sony has forgotten it's roots and really only cares about the Western market nowadays.

Sony doesn't really have anyone to blame but themselves. How many times has the PS5 had a price hike in Japan? Hopefully Astrobot sells well worldwide.

Anyway, I hope Nintendo does a good job with Switch 2's launch titles and price. Would be a shame to see a repeat of the PSP vs PSVita situation in Japan where it takes devs forever to switch over to the new system because the old system continues to sell well. (It's unlikely but still)

@Yosher That doesn't mean Astro Bot will come to Switch 2 or anything. Don't assume just because Lego Horizons is coming to Switch means Astro Bot will come. And I doubt it will unless Sony is really really REALLY desperate. And even then, they will just put it on PC.

@Olliemar28 I really do appreciate seeing the sales numbers on Nintendolife. But with an increasingly digital future, it would be helpful to denote the physical/digital ratios of game sales if possible (and for UK/other charts too). I know Nintendo makes it very tricky to track physical sales as they rarely release numbers on their digital counts.

@anoyonmus
1 - it will with some tweaks - the game is not a system miracle
2 - for money
3 - agree

Astrobot sold less than half what Emio did at launch last week 🥶🥶🥶

@anoyonmus I'm sorry, I must've missed to inform you about my comment being a joke. You know, a funny haha.

And even then, don't forget that Microsoft has also put similar games on the Switch (if you really want to ignore Sony putting a spin offs for one of their big titles on the Switch). It is a very real possibility these days. I do very much doubt it is going to happen as well but if Astro Bot fails to meet Sony's expectations on PS5, they may want to try their like on the Switch, in the knowledge that Nintendo fans typically eat these types of games up.

Again though, I also doubt very much it's going to happen. That's why it's a joke. You're welcome to laugh!

@Yosher Well Xbox is falling apart hence the ports to Nintendo and PS5.

But considering Astro Bot uses the Dualsense to its effect, I don't know how it can work on Switch 2. And they will make a PC port of this eventually but idk if it will sell well on PC. So lets wait and see I guess.

@anoyonmus If switch 2 specs is like ps4 pro like the rumor I think capcom can made the game run with lower detail and 30 fps. If switch 2 power lower than ps4 pro, well it means we’re getting monster hunter rise 2 as temporary exclusive like the switch 1 lol.

Yikes, only 12k for Astrobot isn't good. The game looks so good and the first PS 1st party game that has really peaked my interest in ages.

@anoyonmus Yeah, it's just a "never say never" kind of deal, especially these days where Sony seems to be struggling more than ever on the gaming scene and Nintendo has become its own kind of juggernaut. It's most likely not coming to a Nintendo platform, but I also wouldn't be surprised if it did.

Astro Bot was outsold by a freaking Touhou fangame.

@johnedwin Europe is not a bigger gaming market then Japan.

…

_{…It is a bigger gaming market than Japan.}

@Browntrouser had a ps4 but it fried. Had an xbox but sold it. Doing the META which is (Nintendo Console) + PC for gaming.

@Axecon It's definitely still below 20k with digital first week. Legs will be good though as word of mouth is very positive.

@johnedwin Europe is not one gaming market, it's many different ones with different tastes, preferences and purchasing habits.

@BTB20 europe has a combined population of 740 million people..

europe is a single market without borders..

"@wiiware I doubt Monster Hunter Wilds can run on Switch 2 tbh."

Lol how do you know what the next nintendo console will be able to do? It doesn't even exist yet......smh.

@ChessboardMan Honestly, I use my PS5 mainly to play PS4 games. If I really think about it, it was worth it because the kids' PS4 was on the fritz and I needed to replace it. If that weren't the case, I'd be pretty bored with the generation and pretty unhappy with my purchase.
The Pro is a non-starter for me, as I play most games on the Dadstation Portal and the kids aren't exactly on the bleeding edge of tech or anything.

Honestly surprised Microsoft didn't try and pounce on the PS5 price increase in Japan by announcing Xbox price cuts. They could tie that with "Hey, we do a lot of gamepass stuff with capcom, maybe that next Monster Hunter will come to it and here's a cheap way to play"

Then again, considering what the EMEA Microsoft guys say about lack of funding/support, I can't imagine APAC have it easier.

@RiasGremory yes unfortunately they have got big headed again. Due for a big fall hopefully.

@HeadPirate Astro Bot cost nowhere near $100m. Its been widely reported it was only worked on by a smaller team of about 60 people.

When digital is factored it, UK sales are also about 20% above Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart.

@anoyonmus they already did, look at Horizon

Sony is tumbling around the gaming market with no clue about what they should be doing. That’s crazy to me.

Price hiking, going the “Pro” mid-gen route again, making that god awful expensive battle royale that they completely shut down. They’re confused about their role and flailing wildly.

Simply put, those are bad sales numbers all-around. The grimdark titles Sony kicked off during PS3 have funneled them down this path. I own a PS4, and am not planning on getting another Sony console, there’s no reason to.

„ 12,672. Quite a bit lower than we were expecting, but not a terrible start, by any means“
12,672 is not a terrible start? By any means? Debut week of a major first party GOTY contender? Funny, I’d have thought that’s exactly what a terrible start is.

@NintendoWife anyone would think their pockets were being lined to soften the blow 😉

Kinda feel sorry for Visions of Mana and its studio. Not only did the game not sell well but the studio is gone forever. Square Enix really should had made a Switch version.

@BrintaPap it’s a Lego form and a spin off. Mainline games won’t be on Nintendo.

And don’t expect Astro Bot to come unles Sony is very desperate. And even if they are, they’ll put it on PC. Simple as that.

@Gamepro500 Wrong user reply? It’s not me that said that.

With the amount of comments I expected to grab some popcorn... which I did 😆
Anyway! Obviously if you make it more expensive less people will buy it. I don't even can imagine what Sony is thinking right now.

I can’t even begin to unravel what Sony’s game plan is here.

@Arkay Yes and no. As someone who grew up in the NES and SNES eras it was a better time to be a Nintendo fan IMO. The main reason is that Nintendo were the top dogs back then with the most 3rd party support of any competing platforms. That can't be said today with how many AAA titles either run like absolute garbage on the Switch or skip it altogether.