Japan’s PC Gaming Market Nearly Triples with a 187% Surge in Only Four Years
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Japan’s PC gaming market has seen insane growth over the last few years, essentially tripling in size between 2019 and 2023. According to data from the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA), the market increased by about 187.5%, growing from approximately ¥82.2 billion ($560 million USD) in 2019 to ¥236.4 billion ($1.6 billion USD) in 2023. This surge has been driven by several factors (touched on below) that are changing the gaming culture and landscape in Japan which has been traditionally known for its console and mobile dominance.
One major driver of this growth is the increasing popularity of PC gaming as a platform of choice among younger gamers who are increasingly shifting away from consoles. While consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch still hold significant portions of the gaming market, PCs have grown to represent 13% of Japan's overall gaming revenue in 2023, up from a mere 5% in 2019.
The rise of more affordable PC hardware has also contributed to this trend. Products such as AMD’s Ryzen processors, which are well-received in Japan due to their competitive pricing, have made it easier for gamers to build custom gaming rigs at a much more reasonable cost. Additionally, as console “exclusives” are increasingly being ported to PC and cross-play is more common than ever, many gamers see little reason to stay loyal to consoles when a powerful PC can handle a wider range of games with better performance
Another important factor is the expansion of services like Microsoft’s PC Game Pass as well as Steam, both of which have tapped into this growing market. Game Pass subscribers in Japan have quadrupled in recent years, showing that subscription services can be popular even in a market where gamers traditionally preferred to own their software outright. This has further opened the door for PC gaming to thrive, as more gamers are able to access a variety of games without having to make individual purchases.
Meanwhile, smartphone gaming, which still dominates Japan’s overall gaming market, saw only moderate growth over the same period, and console gaming has stagnated or even declined in certain segments. The growth in PC gaming represents a shift in Japan’s gaming culture, which has long been centered around consoles and handheld devices. This shift suggests that PC gaming will continue to grow in the coming years, potentially at the expense of traditional console gaming.
You can learn more about CESA here.
