Xbox One Vs. PS4: Even The Last-Gen PS3 Is Outselling The Xbox One In Japan

Microsoft’s Xbox One launched in Japan on Sept. 4, and sales in the island nation continue to underwhelm. Though the estimated population of the East Asian archipelago is currently around 127.3 million people, very few of them seem to care about Microsoft’s eighth-generation device, which only sold 1,500 units during the week ending Sept. 21, according to tracking firm Media Create.

During the first four days of its release, only 24,000 Japanese consumers bought an Xbox One, with only 3,000 buyers during the second week. This places Microsoft’s console well behind Nintendo’s Wii U and Sony’s PlayStation 4, which continue to move at least 7,000 units a week in Japan. Even the seventh-generation Sony PlayStation 3 is beating the Xbox One, with more than 6,000 systems sold during the same time frame.

Microsoft even offered six months of free Xbox Live Gold subscriptions to early buyers in Japan, but the offer hasn’t attracted a large number of buyers.

Meanwhile, the Xbox One continues its global struggle against Sony’s PlayStation 4. The PS4 has outsold its competitor for the last eight months, according to market research firm NPD Group’s latest report. Sony has led the console war since its launch on Nov. 15 last year, and though Microsoft hasn’t reported its console sales figures in several months, the last number the Redmond, Washington-based company reported was 5 million devices sold to retailers like GameStop and Best Buy in April.

The Xbox One launched one week after the PS4 on Nov. 22 last year, and both devices seemed to be on a positive trajectory, moving 1 million units from shelves within 24 hours. The Xbox One was originally priced at $100 more than the PS4, but Microsoft launched a cheaper version of the console without the Kinect in June.

Will Sony continue to outsell Microsoft this holiday season? There’s no way to know for sure, but with the availability of Microsoft’s $400 Kinect-less Xbox One, it may be more of a fair fight.