PS5 Pro at Launch Sells Better Than PS4 Pro. Sony Fans in Japan Don't Mind High Price and Lack of Drive
The PS5 Pro generated quite a bit of interest in Japan. The console found tens of thousands of buyers and beat sales of the PS4 Pro in the same period.
The words of Sony's CEO from a few days ago have been confirmed, suggesting that the PS5 Pro is more popular than the PS4 Pro. The revealed data shows that the console is attracting many purchasers in Japan, even though it lacks a drive and comes with a high price. However, this isn't visible in terms of game sales, as Switch titles are still the most popular (via Gematsu).
PS5 Pro with a great first week...
Before the launch of PlayStation 5 Pro, it was criticized for the lack of certain features and high price. Analysts indicated that in the past, Sony fans have demonstrated their willingness to invest additional hundreds of dollars in gadgets or slightly upgraded hardware. The sales of the PS5 Pro in Japan seem to confirm this, as 78,086 units were sold in the first week. In a similar time after its launch, the PlayStation 4 Pro sold 65,194 units there.
The absence of a drive or stand didn't discourage buyers, and the sales of another console may validate the correctness of this first decision. In Japan, the Xbox Series X is also available in the Digital version, which sold 1,505 units in the same period. For comparison, the XSX with a drive was purchased by 232 people. It's possible that players from Japan prefer digital editions of games, regardless of the platform.
...but it's Nintendo that sells the most games
In terms of games, Nintendo still dominates. Six out of the top ten most frequently purchased titles are exclusive to the Switch. At the forefront are the new titles: Mario & Luigi: Brothership and Super Mario Party Jamboree. The fourth place belongs to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which has sold over 6 million copies since its release.
Boxed game edition fnas may be concerned about the reception of the PS5 Pro in Japan. For now, we don't know what the rest of the world looks like, but the local market is still very important to Sony and it may guide the company in designing the PlayStation 6. Probably the best solution would be a modular console with an attached drive. However, in that case, the drive would need to be more accessible.
