More and more Japanese gamers prefer the PC, survey reveals

Japan is very traditional when we think about everything that governs the console market. Stellar names like SEGA, Nintendo, Sony will forever be mentioned by acclaimed and historic products in terms of video games. Not to mention the entire market of special editions released only in Japan that arouse the interest of collectors around the world.

Parallel to the platform market designed almost exclusively for running games, we have the PC, which, according to recent research published by Kantar Gamesbased on data from CESA (Associate Providers of Computer Entertainment Providers), the PC Gaming segment is gaining more and more space in the land of the rising sun.

The graph below shows the evolution of the PC gaming market in Japan between 2019 and 2023. There is clearly a growth in the number of game sales for this platform:

In 2023, PC represented 13% of Japan’s 2023 gaming market size ($12.7 billion). In 2019 it was just 5%, raising US$10.4 billion. The expectation is that in 2024 the representation of the PC gaming market will reach 15%.

In relation to consoles, CESA says that there is consistency in terms of market share, around 20% since 2019. The Nintendo Switch is mentioned as largely responsible for maintaining this solidity.

There is great expectation surrounding this final stretch of the Nintendo Switch market. Nintendo’s hybrid has the potential to surpass the PS2 and become the best-selling console of all time, or at least be very close to that mark.

According to data released by Nintendo, the Switch has already accumulated more than 141 million units sold. The company’s estimates are that the console will sell another 13.5 million units by March 2025. Reaching 154.82 million units, close to the PS2 which sold 155 million units.

If it fails to reach the position of best-selling console of all time, the Switch will be able to occupy second place, surpassing the Nintendo DS, which has accumulated 154 million units.