Xbox One is doing well on its own in EU, North America and other regions, however, Microsoft’s new machine is struggling in Japan. Actually, struggling is an understatement.
Since its release, Xbox One has seen below average sales in Japan. On occasion, weekly stats have been embarrassing for the company and its brand. According to the latest report from Media Create, Xbox One sold less than 100 units in Japan from January 11 to January 17.
Meanwhile, PS4 and Wii U pushed over 25,000 and 15,000 units respectively. Once again, 3DS was on top last week.
- New Nintendo 3DS XL: 30,172 units
- PlayStation 4: 25,592
- PlayStation Vita: 18,202
- Wii U: 15,398
- New Nintendo 3DS: 6,241
- Nintendo 3DS: 4,797
- PlayStation 3: 1,939
- Nintendo 3DS XL: 1,162
The sales numbers are an indication that Microsoft should either change their approach, or pull-out of Japan for good until their next gaming platform. Surely, the cost of managing the Xbox division in Japan can’t be managed with such poor performance.
So far, Microsoft has tried pretty much everything in Japan in an attempt to push its latest machine. Sadly, nothing has worked and it may never will for Xbox One. Japan’s gaming market is changing, it favors handhelds and mobile platforms.
It is one of the primary reasons companies like Konami, Nintendo and others are now looking towards mobile gaming scene as well. Something similar should be considered by Microsoft, at least in Japan where its console is taking a beating.
