Japanese Charts: Pokémon Legends: Arceus And Switch Remain Dominant

I was hesitant because I didn't like the aesthetic, and the low end graphics didn't help
But the gameplay is fun, and it's not bad at all

Legends indeed.

Xbox wins, while PS5 is a total mess.

OLED dominating and passing the PS5. Wow. Miserable looking western “AAA” game does average numbers. Just another week in the Japanese charts! 😄

PS4 just only four machines sold ?? 😲

@Max_the_German What? The PS5 is beating both the X and S, at least the disc version is. Then, you can’t see an Xbox one model on the list at all. Not sure how that makes Xbox reign supreme, but to each their own.

Edit: wording

I finally caved and bought a little while ago and I’m currently really enjoying it. This might have been the first time I’ve really seen how good Pokémon can be, since none of the mainline games really stuck with me.

@Max_the_German
I still prefer PS5 over than XBOX Series.
It has Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, beautiful blue retail box, better looking of retail box spine, White color machine as Default color.

At this rate, it's going to take the PS5 20 years to catch PS4's lifetime sales...crazy.

Anyone not knowing this since Acreus release should have their brain examined.

Switch total sales in Japan outnumber PS3 and PS4 numbers combined.

@Darkstorm556 The XBS wins because it's selling way way way better than the XONE and just had it's third best week ever.

That's crazy! PS5 only sold 463 more console than the Xbox Series! I'm still assuming it's due to low stock of PS5, if it isn't, than peoeple are warming to Xbox and liking less Playstation.

@WiltonRoots Yup, just another day at the office.

Making ground?

Week 3 sales were less than BDSP’s week 3.

Without a Christmas boost it’ll be interesting to see where PLA lands when Nintendo updates their website again.

@BTB20 Makes sense. I just thought it was strange that people were saying that the PS5 was “failing” when it had higher overall sales than the Xbox products that are also here.
That being said the OLED model seems to be outselling them all combined haha

@Darkstorm556 The PS5 is selling far below what any of the other PS consoles did and has practically no software presence. It's is massively failing.

@Darkstorm556 It‘s not about the absolute, but about the relative numbers compared to PS4 and Xbox One back then. PlayStation was regarded as a Japanese product, which is not the case any more. Xbox was something that only American soldiers in Japan bought (exaggerated), now with Game Pass it has also appeal to Japanese customers. And the Series S is cheap and has a sexy form factor.

@Davzilla
As it turns out, the bad appearance of the game was a result of Game Freak's artistic decision. I think Digital Foundry did a technical analysis and both resolution and frame rate were fine (1080p 30fps docked).

Aw hey, the PS4 got a game in the top ten. Well done, lil' buddy!

So, what are those 360 people who bought a 2DS thinking now?

@ModdedInkling seems like they just wanted maximum resolution at any cost. I don't think it was an artistic decision so much as maybe a mandate from on high? Seems very strange as even a max resolution of 900p would have given a fair bit of headroom to draw distant objects in further afield.

@Max_the_German those are all valid points, the xbox always did laughable numbers in Japan, in this generation there is clear improvement. If I recall correctly, the current Xbox generation outsold lifetime sales of Xbox One in the first week. They are certainly breaking into the market a little bit better.

However, both Xbox and PS5, are very far away from Nintendo. The OLED version of the switch alone is about to outsell the PS5.

A Pokémon game at the top of the Japanese charts?

Today, water is wet.

@BTB20

Lol 😂

Sony is selling every single PS5 they can make in every region worldwide.

It’s production problems, not lack of demand. Both the Series X and PS5 suffer from production issues. They just can’t make enough to meet demand.

I’m glad to see the Xbox doing better in Japan. They knocked it out of the park this time around with the Series X and Series S and their line up is far better than the Xbox One had at this point in its life. Glad to see positive Xbox growth.

Just completed the Pokedex and on way to catch Arceus....90+ hours and thoroughly enjoying it still.

I always maintained that the gameplay was more important to me than the slight graphical complaints and this has been proved true.

Amazing seeing Nintendo selling so well on all fronts

@maulinks

Nintendo owns Japan. PC is the second most popular option.

Sony and Microsoft will be fighting over the leftover scraps in the land of the rising sun, but I think both will do ok overall. They just won’t touch Nintendo’s success.

The real battle is in the United States and Europe. Especially the United States. And here both the Series X and PS5 are nearly impossible to find. When stock becomes available, they are gone in ten minutes or less.

I’m really lucky I got my PS5 at launch. I’m keeping my eyes out for the Series X, but I’m not exactly looking hard. I’m leaning more towards the Series S since I’m just looking at the Xbox as a Gamepass machine.

@Anti-Matter

They are both good platforms now. I have the PS5 but I’m planning on picking up a Series S this year.

It’s not like the PS4 and Xbox One. There was literally no reason to invest in an Xbox One until Gamepass launched. The PS4 was the far better platform overall before Gamepass. And even after that, it was still the better buy thanks to the exclusives.

I wonder how those 360 new 2DS LL owners feel this week now that Nintendo have just started to sunset online support for the platform in a few months time?!

@TSR3 they’re most likely existing users adding another to their collections.

With how dominant the Switch is in Japan you just know it is always going to outsell everything every week and maybe the PS4 will have the odd title in the charts. The PS4 selling 4 consoles... wow. And the PS5 just selling over 300 more than the Xbox Series, that's crazy. For a console that's sold over 1 million in Japan the PS5 feels non existent in Japan, I haven't even seen any games for it in the charts in months, RE Village is the only to come to mind. Sony must be focusing on getting as many of their PS5 consoles to America and Europe than Japan, which tbf is probably better for them because we know Japan prefers their handhelds and mobile games over console at this point,

@WiltonRoots,

That sort of comment will go down like a house on fire here.

@johnvboy it’s another storm in a teacup. Eshopgate. It’ll pass and be forgotten like all the other dramas that happen in here, where you mention them to the average person in the street they’ll shrug their shoulders and look puzzled. File alongside SixtyDollarGate for Skyward Sword, that Mario 3d allstars deadline meltdown plus hundreds of Pokemon Spanish soap operas. The world kept revolving and life went on as normal.

Almost forgot! Onlyoneislandinanimalcrossinggate!

@TheRedComet I know that it's not lack of demand, I never said it was. The bigger issue is lack of software sales.

@RubyCarbuncle The software attach rate is the worst that was ever seen in Japan, even if digital was over 50%, which is unlikely because digital hasn't been growing nearly as fast in Japan as in the UK.

@BTB20

There hasn’t been any PS exclusives targeted at Japan yet.

Persona 6 will most likely be a PS5 exclusive. That would probably destroy the charts for a few weeks.

Wow PS4 sold only 4 units? Either everyone in Japan already own a PS4 or Japan is getting tired of the PS4. Not surprising that Switch OLED had outsold PS5.

@BTB20 I think you’re forgetting stock issues. If all was normal in the supply chain I’m sure ps5 would be whooping xs/x in Japan…

@TheRedComet Persona 5 didn't destroy the charts, why would P6 do so?

@WiltonRoots,

Yes most Switch owners neither care or even know about all these issues in the first place.

no suprise that Pokémon Legend Arceus is selling well, Pokémon games always sell well.

Animal crossing is a beast.

I talked so much crap about Arceus, I said I wasnt going to buy it.
Beat it in 4 days, loved it.

Deserves all the success it’s seeing, honestly can’t say enough good things about it. Yeah it looks crap but if there’s any game that proves that graphics don’t matter it’s this.

OLED model alone has already outsold the standard PS5, crazy. Also nice to see Arceus already close to hitting 2M in Japan alone. Really hope Legends becomes its own sub series of Pokemon alongside the standard.

Great numbers again!
Starting to think Sony and Microsoft are putting a plan together as these numbers can’t be good. I really wish we could see world numbers….

@datamonkey M$ xb/x is dead in Japan. Trying to compare something with one foot in the grave says absolutely nothing.

By the time they get enough ps5’s in peoples homes to encourage more aaa titles they’ll be putting the hardware in toasters. Or I guess they could just continue with upscaling PS4 games for the few.

@Anti-Matter ps4 is DEAD. Although it sold 116 million and did well, it's Time to move on to the ps5 now. At least Microsoft ended the xbone. I don't know why Sony is hanging on to the dead ps4?!

Nintendo Switch is a Different story, that's Selling like crazy!

@NintendoEternity
I don't think PS4 is already dead right now.
I'm still hunting for upcoming cartoonish games on PS4 that will be released during this year and also some old PS4 games I have never played before.

@SwitchForce I don't think MS is quite dead in Japan I think the Series S outdoing the Series X and notably the PS5 DE this week and last by a substantial margin.

The series S in the long run could end up bigger than most will have thought possible.

Deservedly so, at least in my experience so far. I'm having a great time with it ^^!

@Jeff2sayshi There probably going on the 3DS eShop and buying the Pokemon games not available on Switch.

@Screen that's not what making ground means.

@Dr_Lugae That's a opinion talk the sales numbers show a different trend. Long term they had how many years and nothing to show for it.

@SwitchForce Well it is just an opinion but I think the numbers do back it up. S has had a good couple weeks ~3,500 is 5% of the Series S' lifetime sales in Japan. Just in this week, a random week in February.

It's not going to be anywhere near the market leader, the Series X and S are not for a single week ever going to get anywhere close to the Switch.

But at the current rate the Series S could actually beat out the PS5 Digital in Japan. I think a key difference this gen is Gamepass. If it's gamepass convincing 3.5k people to buy an S in japan that's a foot in the door in Japan that Microsoft will have never had before.

If people are sold on Gamepass this gen, they'll probably want it next gen too. Which is a more solid foundation to build on than anything MS did with the Xbox, 360, or One.

I haven't played Pokémon games since forever (I only know Gen 1- long live Blastoise), but this Pokémon Legends game has made me often question hopping back in to try one out again.

@wuntyme8 whether one played Pokémon or not that is their choice. Acreus changed how one becomes more immersed in Pokémon experiences. That's why there are new players and returning players showing in the sales figures.