Xbox Outsold PlayStation In Japan For First Time In 8 Years

This generation of consoles has met its due challenges like the pandemic and shortages of stock. Regardless, Xbox Game Studios has managed to keep its inventory available compared to the massive deficits that the PlayStation 5 has mourned. However, the Xbox Series X often overshadows the lesser-end Xbox Series S.

Xbox Series S comes with less vigorous graphics hardware, up to 1080p, that game developers appear to target, and sometimes it can provide a 1440p experience. Despite its less decisive quirks, the console has garnered a myriad of sales, thanks to its availability and good quality. Xbox Series X|S has proven to be a worthy competitor to the PlayStation 5 this generation.

It’s not to say that the Xbox Series S does not come with its own batch of mishaps. Developers have witnessed memory constraints, which lead to development issues for games on the console. Nevertheless, the console still has sold like hotcakes and now appears to have dominated the sales chart in Japan, allowing Xbox consoles to outsell PlayStation consoles for the first time in Japan, in nearly a decade, according to a recent report from Famitsu.

However, the portrait is not as black and white as those numbers make it to be. It is worth noting that the primary reason that the Xbox Series S has overwhelmed merely seems to be because of the PlayStation 5 shortage this week in Japan.

PlayStation 5 has always been the usual victor for the number of sales. These numbers have been an unforeseen surprise this week that no one would have anticipated. However, the cumulative sales speak for themselves compared to the aforementioned numbers.

Look at the cumulative numbers. Come on pic.twitter.com/8znvVD4SCg

— tae kim (@firstadopter) May 19, 2022

When comparing the cumulative sales figure for the consoles, the PlayStation 5 looms over all others. Xbox Series S is behind the triad of dominant consoles in Japan. PlayStation has had massive supply issues in Japan since its inception. Nevertheless, it has still managed to stay on top for the most part.

Last week, the PlayStation 5 towered over the Xbox Series S with an enormous edge in numbers. Xbox Series S alone could not surpass the PlayStation 5 even after the lack of stock clouding over Sony’s supply chain. Nintendo Switch dominated the overall competition in Japan by securing the first and second pedestals in the usual fashion.

Famitsu hardware sales numbers over the last 2 weeks due to the Golden Week holiday!
Switch sold 176k units! PS5 with 49k units & Xbox Series X/S with 14k units!
No big jump in XBS numbers! XBS S/X both level at 99k each! Jump in Switch and PS5 numbers! Supply issues remain. pic.twitter.com/OKwtDGPjdq

— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) May 12, 2022

The rationales behind the Xbox Series S often lagging backward are apparent; the console is far from a flagship product and could not provide the same quality. Its low price and abundance in stock do help with its number of sales, however, and Microsoft continues to capitalize on this.