The PS5 has sold 118,000 units in Japan within four days of being on sale, while the Xbox Series X|S has sold 21,000 units. All of the new consoles are reported to have now sold out in the region, with lottery sales currently being held to determine new buyers. However, these stock shortages have seemingly resulted in both consoles failing to beat their predecessors’ sales figures, with the PS5 selling less than half of what the PS4 achieved during its launch period.
PS5 sells 118,000 units in 4 days, PS4 sold 322,000 in 2 days
These numbers, published by Famitsu and translated via Twitter user @Nibellion, suggest that both Sony and Microsoft pushed low amounts of stock to the region compared to the demand for the hardware, resulting in lower sales figures than anticipated. For Sony, which has been dominant in the region in previous console generations, this has seen the PS5 shifting just 118,000 units in four days compared to the PS4’s 322,000 in two days.
The PS5 also falls short of the PS Vita, PSP, and PS2’s launch window sales, with it having the second-lowest launch sales for a PlayStation console ahead of the PS3’s 88,000 units sold. The PS2 remains the most popular PlayStation console at launch, with 631,000 units sold.
The Xbox Series X|S also fell short of its predecessor, though not dramatically so. The Xbox One sold 24,000 units at launch, meaning that the Xbox Series X|S had a decline of just 3,000 while also managing to sell out in the region. Considering that the Xbox brand has had a tough run in Japan — just 0.3% of the Xbox One’s global sales were from Japan by 2019 (via CNBC) — it was expected that Microsoft would push less stock to the region compared to the U.S. and Europe.
However, the PS5’s lower launch sales suggest that Sony also adopted the same strategy. This adds credibility to reports that Sony is looking to shift its focus away from Japan and towards the U.S. market, with Bloomberg previously reporting that Japan had been “sidelined” in PS5 promotion.
Sony released an official response to these allegations, branding them “incorrect” and that the company’s “home market remains of utmost importance.” However, the PS5 selling out and still shifting over 60% fewer consoles than the PS4 achieved implies a change in priorities. Whether or not this is just a consequence of the pandemic, or if will look to push plenty more stock into the region post-launch, is unclear.
Stock shortages for both consoles aren’t limited to Japan. Buyers in the U.S. and Europe have also struggled to get a hold of the console, with an unannounced PS5 restock selling out within minutes, while Microsoft confirmed that the Xbox Series X|S has enjoyed the “biggest Xbox launch ever.” Hopefully, these stock issues will be resolved soon, and prospective buyers can finally purchase the highly sought-after consoles.
