Knack PS4 PlayStation 4 1

The PlayStation 4 is nearing its second birthday in Japan, and while it hasn't got off to a flying start, it's still managed to accrue an install base nearing 2.5 million units. But with the Eastern market waiting patiently for Final Fantasy XV and Dragon Quest XI, what's been the console's biggest software drivers so far? The results may surprise you.

According to Famitsu data, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is the system's top seller to date, closely followed by Knack. That obviously makes the recent sequel news a little easier to understand, but it's worth remembering that the Japan Studio developed platformer was bundled with every console at launch. We'd love to know how many copies got traded in.

Perhaps the bigger story here, though, is the sheer number of Western games in the Top 20. Titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Fallout 4, Grand Theft Auto V, and Star Wars Battlefront all did amazingly well on the device, suggesting perhaps that Japanese tastes are changing. Either that, or there's just not enough locally developed games these days.

Best Selling PS4 Games in Japan (As of 7th February, 2016)

  1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: 425,971 units
  2. Knack: 400,888
  3. Dragon Quest Heroes: 327,019 units
  4. Call of Duty: Black Ops III: 310,238 units
  5. Bloodborne: 209,985 units
  6. Fallout 4: 206,712 units
  7. Grand Theft Auto V: 196,795 units
  8. Star Wars Battlefront: 187,434 units
  9. Dragon Quest Builders: 170,168 units
  10. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes: 155,598 units
  11. The Witcher 3: 149,337 units
  12. Yakuza 0: 146,510 units
  13. Final Fantasy Type-0 HD: 140,046 units
  14. Yakuza: Ishin: 134,010 units
  15. Yakuza: Kiwami: 131,205 units
  16. Destiny: 125,900 units
  17. Battlefield 4: 113,928 units
  18. Battlefield Hardline: 113,061 units
  19. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (Subtitled Ver): 102,716 units
  20. Watch Dogs: 99,323 units

[source famitsu.com, via kotaku.com]