Happier times

Despite strong competition in the West, the PlayStation 4 is posting some pretty extraordinary figures at the moment. The system has been consistently outselling the Xbox One on Microsoft’s home turf all year, while reports suggest that it’s also flying off the shelves in Europe. However, things aren’t quite as rosy in every region for Sony, as the next-gen console is really starting to struggle in Japan.

The latest numbers from Media Create show that the record breaking super machine managed to move just 6,792 units in the Land of the Rising Sun last week – approximately 600 units less than its ageing predecessor the PlayStation 3. In fact, the brand new device was just about neck-and-neck with the Nintendo Wii U, and was a long way off the PlayStation Vita, which sold a slightly more respectable – but still quite dismal – 13,865 units.

To add insult to injury, there wasn’t a single PS4 title in the top ten, with the charts dominated by new PS3 and Vita releases, as well as a slew of evergreen Nintendo 3DS titles. The atrocious numbers are perhaps indicative of the lack of Japanese focused software currently available for Sony’s latest format, but also flag a slightly more worrying trend, as the region tunes its tastes to smartphone experiences.

What can the manufacturer do to get people flocking to its newest home console? Honestly, it’s not going to be easy. Improved output from Japan Studio will help, so cross your fingers that the rumoured Project Beast turns out to be a real product. Until the likes of Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III are completed, though, there could be some troubling times ahead. What would you do if you were in charge of SCEJ? Let us know in the comments section below.

Hardware

1. 3DS – 23.600 (35.943)
2. Vita – 13.865 (18.494)
3. PS3 – 7.339 (7.684)
4. PS4 – 6.792 (8.480)
5. Wii U – 6.716 (7.613)
6. PSP – 1.642 (2.022)
7. Xbox 360 – 201 (233)

Software

1. The Idolmaster: One for All (PS3, Bandai Namco) – 83.395 / New
2. Genkai Totsuki Moero Chronicle (Vita, Compile Heart) (7.344) – 32.957 / New
3. Yo-kai Watch (3DS, Level 5) – 30.305 / 950.035
4. Mario Golf: World Tour (3DS, Nintendo) – 9.439 / 86.210
5. Mario Party: Island Tour (3DS, Nintendo) – 8.049 / 371.184
6. Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment (Vita, Bandai Namco) – 7.868 / 201.381
7. Pokemon X / Y (3DS, Pokemon Co.) – 5.553 / 4.063.466
8. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS, Square Enix) – 4.594 / 120.549
9. Kirby Triple Deluxe (3DS, Nintendo) – 4.504 / 584.509
10. Monster Hunter 4 (3DS, Capcom) – 3.386 / 3.277.125

[source neogaf.com, via computerandvideogames.com, vg247.com]