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It's been said about a million times by now, but we'll say it again: the PlayStation 3 is one of the main reasons why the PlayStation 4 is unable to keep a solid foothold in the Japanese market. While Sony's last-gen console has almost tumbled out of existence here in the West, the Japanese are still buying most of their software on the older machine, which poses something of a problem when it comes to unique selling points for the new-gen alternative.

Titles that are available on both consoles always tend to sell better on PS3, and end up staying in the charts longer, too. This is the case once again with new hack and slash release Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi, which sold through 58.889 copies on PS3 while shifting 35,161 copies on PS4. With no exclusive software to back it up, Sony's newest system slipped from the top of the charts, selling just 17,656 units.

Of course, it's all Sony sales at the end of the day, but it's a trend that's always going to hang around as long as new titles are coming to both platforms. It's an awkward situation, but how do you think it should be handled? Should Sony try to phase out the last-gen system in its native Japan, or is it a problem that'll eventually fix itself? Become an armchair analyst in the comments section below.

Hardware sales

  1. New 3DS LL – 21,028 (19,432)
  2. PlayStation 4 – 17,656 (24,266)
  3. PlayStation Vita – 13,843 (13,190)
  4. Wii U – 11,257 (11,028)
  5. New 3DS – 5,753 (5,437)
  6. PlayStation 3 – 2,956 (2,947)
  7. 3DS – 1,286 (1,376)
  8. 3DS LL – 807 (726)
  9. PlayStation Vita TV – 642 (618)
  10. Xbox One – 211 (242)

Software sales

  1. [3DS] Yo-kai Watch Busters: Red Cat Team / White Dog Squad (Nintendo, 07/11/15) – 95,369 (1,009,905)
  2. [PS3] Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi (Capcom, 07/23/15) – 58,889 (New)
  3. [PS4] Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi (Capcom, 07/23/15) – 35,161 (New)
  4. [Wii U] Splatoon (Nintendo, 05/28/15) – 24,289 (455,158)
  5. [PSV] Makai Shin Trillion (Compile Heart, 07/23/15) – 18,506 (New)
  6. [3DS] Rhythm Heaven: The Best+ (Nintendo, 06/11/15) – 16,110 (359,603)
  7. [PS3] TV Anime The Idolmaster: Cinderella Girls G4U! Pack Vol. 3 (Bandai Namco, 07/23/15) – 15,060 (New)
  8. [3DS] Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright / Conquest (Nintendo, 06/25/15) – 14,023 (377,775)
  9. [PS4] Batman: Arkham Knight (Warner Bros., 07/16/15) – 12,273 (61,076)
  10. [Wii U] Yoshi's Woolly World (Nintendo, 07/16/15) – 11,733 (42,891)
  11. [PSV] Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition (SCE, 03/19/15) – 10,180 (263,487)
  12. [3DS] The Great Ace Attorney (Capcom, 07/09/15) – 9,554 (169,161)
  13. [3DS] Langrisser Re:Incarnation Tensei (Masaya Games, 07/23/15) – 9,300 (New)
  14. [PSV] Taiko Drum Master: V Version (Bandai Namco, 07/09/15) – 8,277 (66,959)
  15. [Wii U] Mario Kart 8 (Nintendo, 05/29/14) – 7,076 (1,074,513)
  16. [3DS] Chou Tousouchuu Atsumare! Saikyou no Tousou Monotachi (Bandai Namco, 07/09/15) – 6,757 (25,277)
  17. [3DS] Pokemon Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire (Pokemon, 11/21/14) – 5,414 (2,668,433)
  18. [3DS] Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo, 11/08/12) – 5,343 (4,007,043)
  19. [PSV] Vamwolf Cross (D3 Publisher, 07/23/15) – 3,369 (New)
  20. [3DS] Girls Mode 3: Kira Kira Code (Nintendo, 04/16/15) – 2,966 (170,116)

[source 4gamer.net, via gematsu.com]