Third parties decided to stick with PS/Xbox for their big games. It’s just that the Nintendo Switch is the main console in Japan. Simple as that. The Switch, to Japan, is the main console of focus even over the more powerful PS4 and 5. I hope you wouldn’t have complained when the PS2 was the dominant console in Japan at the time even when there was compelling software from the GameCube.
It’s not just about tastes, which some seem to diss here on this thread, but also convenience. The Switch is convenient for millions of people in Japan. Not just in price, but in function. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Nintendo has brought some of the best games ever from their developers like Botw, Totk, Mario Odyssey, Smash Ultimate, AC New Horizons, MK8D, Super Mario Bros Wonder, etc. Then you have games like Splatoon being cultural phenomenons in Japan and Ring Fit Adventure gaining traction. And it’s not like third parties are left astray. Monster Hunter Rise showed that a big third party switch game can succeed in Japan, DQXIS did really well on Switch despite releasing later than the initial version on PS4/3DS, and Momotaro captured the nation. The Switch is the best selling console of all time in Japan whether you like it or not. It is what it is. SF6, Elden Ring, RE4R, FFVIIRebirth, FFXVI, etc., are quality games, they just weren’t enough to compel consumers in Japan to lean towards the PS5 over the Switch for one reason or another.
Some of that can be attributed to Sony themselves. Think of this, even as the PS4 dominated the previous generation, it only sold around 9 million units lifetime in Japan alone. It had all of the big third party titles under the sun from Japan, the Wii U and Xbone were irrelevant in Japan, the 3DS was trending behind the DS. It was all for the taking for the PS4. Then the Switch came along. The rest became history.
Last edited by Kai_Mao - on 14 July 2024
