Bloomberg recently published a story about Microsoft setting its sights on Japan as the next console battleground. Fortunately, according to one game industry consultant, it’s not expected to have any impact on Nintendo – at least in the near future.
As noted by Bloomberg, Nintendo’s current-generation platform the Switch “enjoys dominance” in its homeland right now with its “family-friendly” portfolio of games, which leaves Xbox to duke it out with the PlayStation. Serkan Toto, a game consultant who works in Tokyo, explained how “for the next years” Nintendo will remain in the top spot within Japan.
“All signs point that for the next years, Nintendo will stay king in Japan, and I really don’t understand why Microsoft is still so obsessed with Japan.”
He also notes how “Microsoft will continue to have a hard time in Japan” and can’t see the PS5 outperforming its predecessor anytime soon. According to Famitsu data, Microsoft’s Xbox One made up just “0.1% of console sales in Japan this year through Nov. 1”, while PlayStation 4 claimed 10.1% of sales and Switch accounted for 89.8% of sales.
If Nintendo wants to maintain sales momentum and overall interest in the Switch over the coming years, it could be as simple as releasing a hardware revision – like that rumoured pro model. The more affordable price of the hybrid system (in its current state) compared to Microsoft and Sony’s next-gen hardware is also likely to be a major selling point.
How long do you think Nintendo can hold off the likes of Sony in Japan? Do you think the Switch will continue to reign supreme over the next years? Share your own thoughts down below.