According to the Xbox boss, Microsoft is seeing improvements in areas where it has traditionally struggled.

Although Xbox’s reputation is at an all-time low, the brand is performing better in Japan, a region that has historically been one of the worst for Microsoft’s gaming division. At the Beyond the Strand event celebrating the 10th anniversary of Kojima Productions, Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, spoke with Japanese magazine Famitsu about Xbox’s performance in Japan.

Over the past year, total playtime across the entire ecosystem has grown by approximately 20%. While exact figures have not been confirmed, Spencer stated that the increase in playtime is evenly distributed across consoles, PCs, and the cloud. However, much of the overall increase is due to the growing importance of the Japanese PC market. To further increase Xbox’s market share in Japan, Microsoft plans to provide more content for Japanese gamers. Spencer confirmed that Microsoft is in talks with various partners while maintaining close relationships with Japanese developers, including Capcom, Square Enix, SEGA, Bandai Namco Entertainment, and Konami.

When asked about the company’s future hardware plans, Phil Spencer confirmed to Famitsu that a new Xbox console is in development, though he did not reveal further details. The recently released ROG Xbox Ally signals Microsoft’s strategy of connecting multiple devices under the Xbox platform. Xbox’s renewed focus on the Japanese market is not surprising. The company aims to better serve the region’s audience by setting the next entry in one of its best-known franchises, Forza Horizon 6, in Japan and by publishing games developed by Japanese studios.

One example is the highly anticipated Ninja Gaiden 4, which ended the series’ long hiatus. Hopefully, this focus will also bring back Japanese franchises that have been on pause for some time. Add to that the IPs of ZeniMax Media (Bethesda) and Activision Blizzard King, which Microsoft acquired.

Source: WCCFTech, Famitsu