Japanese Charts: Atelier Ryza 3 Debuts In Third As Resident Evil 4 Knocks Kirby Off The Top Spot

Nintendo: you really goofed on Cereza. Don't do it again. May 12th is going to be a nail-biter!

RE 4 remake is fantastic maybe if Nintendo are lucky they might get a cloud version that barley works

Ryza 3 isolate to its franchise is amazing debut for the series.

That's honestly the only good news in this report. Everything else is business as usual for AAA new releases.

@KBuckley27 I'll stick with the original RE4 for now. It's not like REmake or RE2R where the experience feels transformative compared to the original, based on what I've seen and played of it.

But why? The Switch version of Ryza 3 is horrible.
In handheld mode the text is too small. And in TV mode you get less then 1080p with some motion blur filter. Both the switch and the TV then add even more blur, when they upscale the image.

I mean, Ryza 3 is an awesome game, but unfortunately it needs a powerful system like the PS5 to run smoothly. And even then it feels like a PS4 game.

@Piyo Almost 5 mio japanese people bought Pokemon SV, I'm sure they don't care that much about performance

Can we have Resident Evil 4 on the next Switch system please, Capcom? Complete on cart if you remember how to do that these days...

It's pretty incredible that a 7 year old console is on the cusp of a second wind (to be fair, I've lost count of how many winds it has had!) Bravo, Switch.

Switch was top last week [when you actually combine models which is what most sane analysts do] and it definitely wasn’t PS “dominance” in at least the last two weeks with how the gap was small/shrinking immensely, but Ok I’ll just chalk that up as the usual writer bias as usual.

I did expect that PlayStation would at least have one more “first” place with RE4 dropping, but I guess that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t because of “NO PS5’s!” either that is the usual favorite tagline here. Japan has had PS5s readily available in Japan for awhile including right now. I guess PS5 demand is already going down with the lack of PS5 exclusives. I mean look at the RE4 sales. Roughly half the people are still buying it on PS4 aka “why buy a PS5 when the same games are STILL coming to PS4?”

RE4 remake winning isn’t a surprise. It’s a major Capcom release in a week that just has Atelier 3 dropping. While it is the most popular Ateleir series, it isn’t close to RE/Biohazard in general appeal

I have played 2 times Resident 4. 1 on Gamecube and 2 time on Wii. I do not understand why Capcom still makes this game remake. Capcom have made so many times remake this game. Switch Oled Model is still incredible. Still selling well.

@Piyo - "it needs a PS5 to play it..."

Considering how low-demanding the game looks, this only makes an excuse to hide optimization failures under "MOAR POWER!" Like how Rime was excused for its failures.

No, the Switch isn't too weak for this game, the optimization is bad.

@Piyo Ryza is an Atelier game, a JRPG that revolves around crafting and exploration. Switch is nonpareil for such experiences regardless of graphical hiccups or nitpicks.

@Piyo No it doesn’t lmao. I’m about 3/4th of the game in and not once did I go “Damn this was made for PS5/high end PC” lol. It’s a Gust game for pity sake lol.

This isn’t FFXVI. It plays fine just like in the last two Ryza games I finished on Switch. Not gonna say a few hiccups due to bad optimization = “unplayable”

People buying this game on Switch should be obvious when Atelier series has been slowly moving away from the “focus on the PS brand” and is now a regular simultaneous release with Nintendo these days.

Still looks like Japan might reach the 30 mil mark for Switch around Oct 2023 at this current rate, maybe even late September, though this doesn't factor in TOTK.

Interesting to see similar numbers for the PS4 and 5 when it comes to Resi 4.

@Piyo How is it in handheld mode? Can you turn off the motion blur?

@GrailUK I World not be surprised for a cloud version to be announced next year. I beat Resident Evil Village on Switch and it ran very smoothly on my average internet.

@Paraka Thank god someone in this website said that the Switch isn’t weak.

@Piyo I'd rather play a game like this somewhat under 1080p on a hybrid than opt for somewhat better image quality on a TV-tethered device. Maybe for a AAA release, but certainly not for something mid-budget like this.

@Piyo The ps5 version runs a more stable fps, loads textures faster, can fit more on the screen in game, and loads faster in general when battling and fast traveling. So there is a difference from the ps4 version but nothing ground breaking. I think the game was clearly made primarily for the ps4 and using a ps4 dev kit, and then scaled it up for the ps5 and down for switch.

Question is though what happens when they leave the ps4 behind and make the game using ps5 kit, will Nintendo still get a version.

@JONOFTHEJONS They recently added a performance mode, so check it out for yourself.

@JONOFTHEJONS - A friend of mine has pointed out how tech is a constant safety net to hide optimization problems (2K using raw sound files for instance) made me further understand it's not about graphical fidelity more than it is about cutting corners we don't see under all the other performance based presentation.

Since then, I started noticing this in a LOT more games that get ported to the Switch. It doesn't have a large enough power rug to hid the shortcomings of the development. Thus is the new era of multi-platform development.

@Ralizah I wish I could agree. The problem is that Ryza 3 has a lot of text and it is sooooo small. The Switch version lacks the required polishing.

@UltimateOtaku91 I know. I meant something different: If somebody showed me the PS5 version and claimed this were running on a PS4, I would believe him.

@JONOFTHEJONS
You cannot turn it off. The motion blur was added to the Switch version to compensate the otherwise stuttering camera.It is OK in handheld mode, but look terrible in TV mode. At least on an 4K TV without artificial sharpening filters (to be fair, most Switch games look blurry in 4K)

If you want to play it in handheld mode without blur, you need to play it on the Steam Deck. But that runs like crap. And gives you an impression, why they added the blur. I guess in a few weeks with some tweaks here and there, Steam Deck for mobile + PC for [email protected] will be the best option.
But for now I prefer the PS5 version (which adds "depth of field" - another kind of blur)

@Paraka That sounds kinda gross when you put it that way...

@Samalik - Gets worse when you start comparing Ps2 era games to PS4, notice the lack of major improvements graphically that are proportionate to the power of the tech provided.

In most of your PS4 games, they never reached the system's fullest potential for the way the game SHOULD have looked. Cause there is so much they chose to hide cause it was easier than hiring a whole QA team and optimize the games to reach their capacity.

And you don't need to use the Switch as a platform to point to it. Look at your standard min requirements on most PC games as well, look at how much more is required for, say, Borderlands 2 to the newest and ask yourself why the fidelity didn't boost as greatly as, say, the tech demos of the graphics cards of said requirements.

@Arawn93 demand and sales numbers for ps5 around the world are huge, plenty of great games for it. Don't think a home console will ever sell in massive numbers in Japan again, the switch sale numbers show that. The hybrid nature was a genius move from Nintendo.
That the ps5 is now selling ahead of the ps3/ps4 in Japan in the same time frame, after a pandemic/chip shortage is a good achievement.

I heard PS5 machine already get price cut, right?

@Selim they were banking on folks like me who havent played it in 15 years, I loved it then but forgot it to the point of grabbing this remake. I love it but doubt it's worth getting if fresh in your mind

I think Bayo Origins will not even make it to 500k copies like i was expecting. Maybe 300k

Leave it to Nintendo to put Sony back in its place. Even the Resident Evil 4 remake didn't help sell PS5 that much. Interestingly with all the new games on the chart this week, Minecraft still manage to miraculously stay in the top 10. I still wonder how many leftover 2DS LL Nintendo had left in stock, those thing should be off the chart any day now especially when there's no digital store to go to.

@Serialsid There isn’t plenty of great games for PS5 that makes you go “I need to buy a PS5” because the same games are still being made for PC and/or PS4 which is the problem.

I mean on top of head it’s pretty much Demon Souls Remake, Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart, Horizon 2, and soon FFXVI noteworthy release wise. They have a few others in the distant future like Spider-Man 2, Wolverine, and Stellar Blade but that is still low offerings for how long the PS5 has been available. You can look at the wiki page for actual PS5 only games and the list is pretty small even when it’s including games not out yet. The ironic thing is despite this there is already rumors a Pro model will be announced soon.

With how the sales split is still roughly 50/50 for RE4 between PS4 and PS5 shows a significant size of the playerbase still not bothering to upgrade even when PS5’s are available because what is the point if you don’t care for the marginal higher HW specs if the games are mostly the same?

The Switch success isn’t just because of the device itself, but because it has a wealth of games you can’t play anywhere else legitimately. If Mario, Zelda, or Pokémon ever got official releases on PC or PlayStation you bet this would negatively impact Switch HW sales.

@Arawn93 there are plenty of great games on the ps5, and any that are ps4 are greatly improved in many ways. Plus with psvr2, games like gt7 and resident evil village are transformed.
I'll grant you that this far into the ps5 Life cycle there should be more next gen only, but we've never had consoles launch during a global pandemic/ chip shortage before. Both PS and xbox have suffered. Finally this year the ps4/ xbox one will be fazed out.
I like how you use Japan sales for showing people are not upgrading when the rest of the world is quite different. UK for resident evil was ps5 73%! And that's against xbox too. Countless games are like that.
Elden Ring first week sales, 63% ps5, 17% ps4. GT7 76% ps5, 24% ps4.
And remember there are a lot more ps4's out in the wild. Most PS4 gamers are waiting to get their hands on ps5's.
And putting old games on pc is not effecting sales either, Sony stated that of the ps5's sold, 30% did not own a ps4 and are new customers! Maybe putting on pc works after all?
Sales figures for the other areas show how wrong you are.
NPD for February, Sony sold more ps5's than any other Sony console in its history for that month!

Europe,
Jan sales figures against 2022

PS5 up 202%
Switch down11%
Series x/s - down 32%

Feb sales figures,

PS5 up 337%
Series x/s up 13%
Switch down 28%

The switch's success is down to its hybrid nature, that you can play Nintendo games however you choose. It was a brilliant move and has worked great. It would have still sold amazing even if the games were ported to pc and still on the wii u.
Xbox have sold more Series consoles in their first 2 years than the xbox one, and you can play their games on pretty well anything!

Is the japanese 3DS eShop closed? If so it's kind of wild they are selling new systems that have had their storefronts shuttered. It's honestly wild either way that they're still selling them at all.

Nice to see Switch back on top of the hardware charts.

And yeah, not surprised by Ryza selling more on Switch. Obviously Switch has sold more than PS4, but this style of game just works a lot better on Switch.

@JohnnyMind Atelier sold 31k on nearly 29 million switchs.
Sold 32k on on around 11-12 million ps4/5's. I'd say its sold pretty well on them as well if your impressed by switchs numbers.

@JONOFTHEJONS the game on switch does not have motion blur, what it has is a pretty overberring deep of field effect on all platforms which is being adress for all platforms. so that guy was just lying. i even tested that way to tell motion blur, spin the camara around and i can see everything clearly does not matter how fast i spin the camara.

also in an later update they are adding graphics options to all platforms and fixing some of the pc graphics options.
https://www.koeitecmoamerica.com/ryza3/update.html#section01

@zleeven are the graphics options on Switch going to be a depth of field slider or is it going to be a performance mode like Grid Autosport?

Switch back to dominating hardware while PlayStation dominates software. Good to see PS4 hanging in there too!

At this rate Pokémon SV and Splatoon 3 will cross 5 million and 4 million physical, respectively, sometime in April. Will definitely have popcorn ready for all the haters still whining about Pokémon's success!