- The PS5 variants sold over 46k units in Japan during the last two weeks, only ending up behind Switch 2.
- A big reason for this sales surge was the cheaper digital edition of the console specific to Japan.
- After a dip last month, the $330 PS5 has boosted the console’s sales once again in the country.
Despite some failures across this generation, the PS5 has been a commercial success with over 84 million consoles sold worldwide. However, the Sony console has struggled to put on a strong foothold in its home base of Japan.
To combat this issue, new PlayStation CEO Hideaki Nishino launched a cheaper model of the console in 2025, and as it turns out, PS5 sales have seen another resurgence on the charts, thanks to this variant.
Why It Matters: Despite dips in December, PS5 sales have been boosted once again, thanks to the cheaper variant showcasing once again how putting consumers first leads to good results.
Famitsu recently published its first sales charts of 2026, and the PS5 is so far the second-most sold console in Japan this year, shipping 46.7k units. The cheaper new digital edition of the console was largely responsible for this performance, accounting for 36.8k of the overall sales between December 29 and January 11.
On the other hand, the base PlayStation 5 was bought by 6k players on retail, while the PS5 Pro also contributed 3.8k sales. The Nintendo Switch variants were only a few hundred units behind the console, with the Switch family selling a combined 46.3k units across this period.
Unsurprisingly, the PS5 ended up behind Nintendo Switch 2 on the charts, with the handheld selling 313k units. But, considering how the Sony console saw a dip in sales last month despite its $330 digital edition being fresh on the market, this resurgence is a good sign.
Japanese fans have expressed their happiness with PlayStation for releasing the price-cut digital edition. Furthermore, if sales are any indication, this was a fantastic business decision from Sony, as the cheaper PS5 continues to boost the brand’s performance in Japan.
Do you think PlayStation is making a good choice by losing money on the cheaper PS5 just to have a user base in Japan? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devotedly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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