Japan's PC Gaming Surge Defies Mobile Trend

Japan's mobile gaming-centric video games market exhibits a consistently expanding PC segment. Recent industry analysis indicates PC gaming has "tripled" in Japan's market share within a short period.

Japan's PC Gaming Market "Triples in Size" Following Steady GrowthPC Gaming Accounts for 13% of Japan's Total Gaming Market

Over the past few years, Japan's PC gaming market has shown steady growth, with yearly increases in revenue. Industry analyst Dr. Serkan Toto concludes that Japan's PC gaming market has "tripled" in the last four years, citing data from Japan’s Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA). Before last week's Tokyo Game Show 2024, CESA reported that Japan's PC gaming market reached $1.6 billion USD, roughly 234.486 billion Yen, in 2023.

While its growth from 2022 only rose by about $300 million USD, the consistent expansion has led the PC gaming segment to comprise 13% of the mobile-dominant Japanese gaming market. Although the figures "may seem small in USD," as Dr. Serkan Toto points out, "the Japanese yen has been very weak recently," suggesting higher spending in local currency.

Japan's gaming market is largely driven by mobile gaming, which significantly surpasses the PC segment, according to additional data from industry analysts. For comparison, Japan’s mobile gaming market—including online sales like microtransactions—reached $12 billion USD, approximately 1.76 trillion Yen, in 2022. "Smartphones remain Japan’s primary gaming platform," Dr. Serkan Toto stated in a report. Additionally, Japan's "anime mobile games" market constitutes 50% of global revenue, per Sensor Tower's "2024 Japan Mobile Gaming Market Insights" report.

(c) Statista

Industry experts believe the substantial growth of Japan's "Gaming PCs & Laptops market" stems from "consumer preference for high-performance gaming hardware and the rising popularity of esports." A Statista Market Insights report projects Japan's PC gaming market revenue to surge to €3.14 billion this year, roughly $3.467 billion. The company's data indicates that "the Gaming PCs & Laptops market will see approximately 4.6 million users by 2029."

"Japan boasts a rich history of early PC games, originating on domestic computers in the early 1980s," noted Dr. Sekan Toto in a study. "While consoles and later smartphones gained prominence, PC gaming never truly disappeared in Japan; its niche status has been somewhat overstated." He attributes Japan's PC gaming resurgence to:

　⚫︎　Rare yet impactful homegrown PC-first titles such as Final Fantasy 14 or Kantai Collection
　⚫︎　Steam's significantly enhanced Japanese storefront and expanded reach
　⚫︎　Increasing availability of smartphone games on PC, sometimes concurrently
　⚫︎　Improved domestic PC gaming platforms; alongside Steam's broader presence and improved Japanese storefront

Xbox, Square Enix, and Other Gaming Titans Expand PC Segment

Popular games maintaining dominance in Japan are typically linked to the eSports scene, which has also enjoyed rising popularity in the country recently. These games include StarCraft II, Dota 2, Rocket League, and League of Legends. Recent years have also seen influential game developers and publishers bringing their titles to the PC platform, spurring renewed interest in Japanese PC gamers.

One such instance is Square Enix bringing Final Fantasy 16 to PC earlier this year. The gaming giant has also confirmed its strategy of a dual release on both console and PC.

Meanwhile, Microsoft, with its gaming divisions of the Xbox console and PC, continue to expand their presence in Japan's gaming market. Xbox executives Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond have actively promoted and expanded Xbox and Microsoft Gaming in the country, securing support from major publishers such as Square Enix, Sega, and Capcom, with Xbox Game Pass cited as a key driver for securing its partnerships.