Japan loves its video games. However, when it comes to the Xbox brand, the country has shown no loyalty to the American business. And while this is something Phil Spencer is hoping to address with Xbox’s latest acquisitions, as of now, sales for Microsoft’s consoles are laughable. In fact, according to the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu (via VGC), Xbox console sales across all generations in Japan total 2,345,975 as of February 6, 2022. Not a great way to kick off the video game maker’s 20th anniversary in the region.
Some Laughable Statistics for Xbox Console Sales in Japan
Here is a breakdown of the total number of sales across every Xbox console in Japan:
- Xbox – 472,992
- Xbox 360 – 1,616,128
- Xbox One – 114,831
- Xbox Series X | S – 142,024
The poor Xbox One. It never had a chance. Of course, the Xbox 360 sold the best out of all of them. It was a pretty decent system, after all (not counting the dreaded Red Ring of Death), and it had a few notable exclusives from Japanese studios.
If we compare sales of the current Series X | S to their main competitors, the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, the discrepancy is equally abysmal. The PS5 has already sold more than 1 million units, while the Switch has surpassed a whopping 20 million.
Still, it’s not total doom and gloom for Microsoft. Series X and S have already outpaced the Xbox One’s lifetime sales, so that’s something. Also, more players are gaming on the system now due to the inherent value of Xbox Game Pass.
Lastly, if you are curious about what the most popular Xbox titles are, here are the top five:
- Dead or Alive 3 (Xbox) – 271,149
- Star Ocean: The Last Hope (Xbox 360) – 208,521
- Tales of Vesperia (Xbox 360) – 204,305
- Blue Dragon (Xbox 360) – 203,740
- The Last Remnant (Xbox 360) – 154,493
Most of those games are Xbox 360 RPGs, yet Dead or Alive 3 comes in first on the original Xbox with an incredible attach rate. Never underestimate the power of sex appeal! Or a quality fighting game from Team Ninja.
