PS4 Japan Release Date Arrives: Sony Sells 322K Consoles 48 Hours

Sony deserves a round of applause. Forty-eight hours after its launch in Japan on Feb. 22, the PS4 reached more than 322,083 buyers, according to Famitsu.

The console is now available in Japan for 39,980 yen. A bundle is also available with the PS4’s Eye camera peripheral for 43,980 yen. Japanese buyers who purchased the next-gen console received SCE Japan Studio’s platformer “Knack” for free.

The PlayStation 3, which launched in Japan in 2006, sold 88,443 units over a 48-hour period. That means the PS4’s Japan sales figures are nearly triple the PS3’s.

Last week, Sony revealed it sold more than 5.3 million PS4s as of Feb. 8 since hitting shelves in North American last November. During its first 24 hours of availability, the system sold 1 million units. In two weeks, 2.1 million PS4s had flown off shelves in North America.

“I am thrilled that so many customers around the globe have continued to select PS4 as the best place to play throughout and beyond the holiday season,” group CEO Andrew House said in a statement on Feb. 18.

“We are delighted that according to the NPD Group’s latest data, PS4 was January’s top-selling console in the United States. The PS4 system’s momentum just keeps growing stronger, and we are extremely grateful for the continued passion and support of PlayStation fans.”

One week after its launch in North America last year, the PS4’s next-gen competitor, Microsoft’s Xbox One, launched in 13 countries on Nov. 22. There’s no confirmed release date for the Xbox One in Japan -- so there’s little competition in that region for Sony. Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Worldwide Studios, told The Verge there has been a "great response" from both Japanese buyers and electronic retailers. "In a sense I hope [PS4 sells out in Japan too]," Yoshida said. "That's what's been happening outside Japan, so it would be strange to see just in Japan that there are units everywhere."

No telling whether Sony will have problems keeping up with sales in Japan, as it has in other parts of the world.