PS5 momentum in Japan is picking up again, and the biggest reason is familiar: the cheaper $330 Digital edition. Sony’s console family moved more than 46,000 units across the last two weeks, putting it behind only the Switch 2 on the hardware charts. After a brief dip last month, this lower-priced variant appears to be doing exactly what it was designed to do – bring PlayStation back into the conversation on its toughest home market.

Across the last two weeks, PS5 variants shifted more than 46,000 units in Japan, placing the platform second on the hardware rankings behind the Switch 2. The surge was largely powered by the Japan-exclusive, lower-cost Digital edition, which helped push sales back up after last month’s slowdown.

Despite some widely discussed stumbles this generation, PS5 remains a commercial hit globally, with more than 84 million consoles sold worldwide. Japan, however, has continued to be a difficult market for Sony to truly dominate – even with PlayStation’s “home turf” reputation.

To address that, new PlayStation CEO Hideaki Nishino introduced a cheaper PS5 model in 2025. And judging by the latest figures, the move is paying off once again, bringing PS5 back into the spotlight thanks to this more affordable version.

Famitsu has now released its first hardware charts for 2026, showing PS5 as Japan’s second best-selling console so far this year, with 46.7k units shipped. The new discounted Digital edition accounted for most of that performance, representing 36.8k units sold between December 29 and January 11. Meanwhile, the base PlayStation 5 sold 6k units at retail, and PS5 Pro added another 3.8k.

Nintendo Switch models were only a few hundred units behind overall, as the Switch family collectively moved 46.3k units over the same period. Unsurprisingly, PS5 still ended up far behind Nintendo Switch 2, which reportedly sold 313k units. Even so, considering PS5 experienced a dip last month despite the $330 Digital edition being freshly introduced, this rebound is an encouraging sign for Sony.

The $330 Digital PS5 Is Still a Major Driver in Japan

Japanese fans have been vocal about their approval of PlayStation releasing a cheaper Digital edition. And if sales are any indication, Sony made a very smart business decision: the lower-priced PS5 continues to lift the brand’s performance in Japan yet again.

Source: tech4gamers