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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Via Automaton West

According to the recent annual report by Japan’s Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA), gamers in Japan are increasingly playing games across multiple platforms, including consoles, mobile and PC.

Published on December 20, the CESA Game Industry Report 2024 found that the number of gamers in Japan totaled around 55.5 million users in 2023. This was the highest number of players in the last 5 years. What’s more, people playing on more than one platform jumped from 5.9 million in the previous year to 7.3 million in 2023, an increase of around 18%.
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Japan gamer statistics​

The survey looked at a sample of 76.2 million people aged 5 to 59. Of these, 55.5 million played games. Mobile was the most popular platform with 43.5 million users, followed by consoles (29.7 million) and PC (14.4 million). There was a significant number of users who play games on both mobile and console (13 million). Over 7 million people reported gaming across mobile, PC and consoles.

Venn diagram showing the number of gamers by platform (in units of 10,000). Mobile game users are indicated in green, console gamers in blue and PC gamers in yellow (Image: Famitsu).

This study only looked at a particular sample, so the real number of gamers in Japan is likely far larger. What is clear is that the number of people gaming across multiple platforms, including consoles, PC and smartphone, is increasing. In recent years, mobile gaming has continued to expand due to the widespread use of smartphones and increased availability of game apps.

Steam users by language (Image: Steam Hardware & Software Survey: November 2024)

The number of PC gamers has grown, with the PC game market expanding by 25% in 2023. This is also evident from the rising popularity of Steam in Japan. In 2023, Japanese language users of Steam surpassed German and French language users. Recent data from November 2024 shows that Japanese is still the 6th most used language on Steam at 2.91% of users.
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[Woopah]

I imagine this was driven by the growth in Steam and the big jump in PS5 sales when it finally became available.

 

[RagnarokIV]

PC keeps on winning.

 

[Three]

PC keeps on winning.

It was third behind mobile and consoles, but yeah back in 2023 it still grew.

 

[ArtHands]

Square Enix when they discover that there are millions of players on non-Playstation platforms

 

[Felessan]

Square Enix when they discover that there are millions of players on non-Playstation platforms

Those play Genshin/Starrail and SE is impotent at AAA gacha games

 

[Evil Calvin]

Square Enix when they discover that there are millions of players on non-Playstation platforms

I mean....Xbox alone has 35 million + users. I would think SE would love to have a couple million copies of FF7 or any other game sold on the platform

 

[Felessan]

I mean....Xbox alone has 35 million + users. I would think SE would love to have a couple million copies of FF7 or any other game sold on the platform

Couple of millions are a huge stretch
Xbox mostly sold in US and jrpg have the lowest interest there
Couple of hundreds of thousands already would be a huge success on Xbox. And given gamepass factor, couple of tens of thousands are more realistic expectation

 

[iHaunter]

Square Enix when they discover that there are millions of players on non-Playstation platforms

Their games sucked in general. FFX16 was on PC too. So not sure what you're referring to. FF14 is PS + PC as well?

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

I’m just happy that PC gaming has grown in Japan to the point where it doesn’t get treated as a second class citizen anymore. Used to be a crapshoot whether a Japanese game would come to PC, and most of them were late and lacked features we’d expect from PC games.

Now PC is big enough where almost everything, even the niche games, release on PC day one.

 

[adamsapple]

This is something Sega had the foresight to see year(s) ago and it's served them well.

 

[Zacfoldor]

Let me guess.

Ekobo-kun on the rise?

Did yall know that I got people mad at me for dissing on PC too much so I'm not gonna do that anymore.

I have seen their mothers, and I will no other, to follow me where I'm going.

 

[Kacho]

PC will keep growing and growing in Japan. 25% growth in 2023 alone is incredible. Gaben-sama is unstoppable.

 

[JimboJones]

PC will keep growing and growing in Japan. 25% growth in 2023 alone is incredible. Gaben-sama is unstoppable.

Who would have thought all those years ago, PC having more success than Xbox in Japan.

 

[rodrigolfp]

It was third behind mobile and consoles, but yeah back in 2023 it still grew.

Cute of you thinking it's about revenue and not about number of games added to the library.

 

[Three]

Cute of you thinking it's about revenue and not about number of games added to the library.

Maybe you're looking at a completely different report but this is not about "revenue" nor "games added to library". It's about number of gamers on each platform only, through a survey. It's cute of you to try and come in with your own pro-PC angle on things though.

 

[rodrigolfp]

Maybe you're looking at a completely different report but this is not about "revenue" nor "games added to library". It's about number of gamers on each platform only, through a survey. It's cute of you to try and come in with your own pro-PC angle on things though.

"According to the recent annual report by Japan’s Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA), gamers in Japan are increasingly playing games across multiple platforms, including consoles, mobile and PC."

One can only play a game on a platform if the game is there (obviously not talking emulation here). But keep you crusade for consoles sake.

 

[Three]

"According to the recent annual report by Japan’s Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA), gamers in Japan are increasingly playing games across multiple platforms, including consoles, mobile and PC."

One can only play a game on a platform if the game is there (obviously not talking emulation here). But keep you crusade for consoles sake.

One can also play games that were already in that library. Still doesn't explain how you thought I was talking about revenue for fucks sake or concentrating on "games added to library" when the only data this is about is gamers on each platform. Keep fighting the good fight because you felt insulted for your platform by that meme.

 

[Holammer]

This is something Sega had the foresight to see year(s) ago and it's served them well.

Capcom too.

 

[rodrigolfp]

One can also play games that were already in that library. Still doesn't explain how you thought I was talking about revenue for fucks sake or concentrating on "games added to library" when the only data this is about is gamers on each platform. Keep fighting the good fight because you felt insulted for your platform by that meme.

Yor are not talking about this posted on a recent thread, sure.

Just a coincidence.

 

[poppabk]

It was third behind mobile and consoles, but yeah back in 2023 it still grew.

When you have to lump all consoles together, in Japan, for that meme to work that is saying something.

 

[Three]

Yor are not talking about this posted on a recent thread, sure.

Just a coincidence.

So you're talking about a different thread in this thread? Take a hike. You're full of shit.

When you have to lump all consoles together, in Japan, for that meme to work that is saying something.

What does it say other than Switch is likely the main contributor. And all PCs are what? laptops, desktops, steamdecks, the lot.

 

[Bernoulli]

It will keep increasing if the switch 2 has good 4rd party support
Young Japanese only care about mobile and handhelds

 

[rodrigolfp]

So you're talking about a different thread in this thread? Take a hike. You're full of shit.

Less shit than on you salty about PC winning revenue, multiplatform games and gamers.

 

[onQ123]

Watching PC & Console gamers try to take credit for Mobile gaming growth

 

[Three]

Less shit than you salty about PC winning revenue, multiplatform games and gamers.

What are you talking about? it didn't even win in revenue. It again was third but you somehow came into this thread saying this:

Cute of you thinking it's about revenue and not about number of games added to the library.

When nobody even mentioned revenue. The report is about where the people surveyed play and the third place is about that. Nothing else. Stop trying to make shit up about other threads to argue.

 

[rodrigolfp]

Watching PC & Console gamers try to take credit for Mobile gaming growth

This is a sad thing.

 

[rodrigolfp]

What are you talking about? it didn't even win in revenue. It again was third but you somehow came into this thread saying this:

When nobody even mentioned revenue. The report is about where the people surveyed play and the third place is about that. Nothing else. Stop trying to make shit up about other threads to argue.

Winning =/= won. The "fight" is still going and Japanese gamers are more and more going to PC.

 

[Three]

Winning =/= won. The "fight" is still going and Japanese gamers are more and more going to PC.

PC had a - 0.2% decrease in revenue this year. #"Winning". It's only winning if you have a warrior mindset like yourself. Mobile is the only one really growing.

 

[rodrigolfp]

PC had a - 0.2% decrease in revenue this year. #"Winning". It's only winning if you have a warrior mindset like yourself. Mobile is the only one really growing.

Revenue do not pay the bills anyway. Profits do.

 

[Zathalus]

Probably the rise of Vtubers contributing to the growth of PC gaming these past years in Japan.

 

[Three]

Revenue do not pay the bills anyway. Profits do.

And who's profits would you be looking at for 'PC'? whose for 'console'? You're just being daft in your warring really. Explains why you linked a July chart too instead of the actual recent thread chart you were referring to.

 

[rodrigolfp]

And who's profits would you be looking at for 'PC'? whose for 'console'? You're just being daft in your warring really. Explains why you linked a July chart too instead of the actual recent thread chart you were referring to.

After you explain why you are so salty about someone saying PC keeps on winning. What is wrong about that?? The user doesn't even say on what he thinks it's winning.

 

[Kacho]

If it wasn’t for Nintendo carrying consoles in Japan (PlayStation is irrelevant obviously) PC would be the second most popular platform for games. That’s crazy!

 

[lachesis]

Whatever the case is - PC gaming market is getting big and it's harder for Japanese devs to ignore it.
It's good for me that I don't have to wait for localization for some of the JRPG, getting it directly on Steam rather than importing expensive physical media or even creating a secondary PSN network for overseas.
I wish all the Vanillaware games would be ported to PC though. Right now they are the only one Japanese dev that I care about... who don't support PC.

 

[Radical_3d]

Supein number four!

 

[ADiTAR]

Switch Lite, OG Switch, OLED Switch. Makes sense

 

[ArtHands]

Their games sucked in general. FFX16 was on PC too. So not sure what you're referring to. FF14 is PS + PC as well?

Suddenly Square Enix games are bad now

 

[iHaunter]

Suddenly Square Enix games are bad now

They released a lot more rushed games recently than they've done in the past. Why is everyone using that picture? lol

 

[ArtHands]

They released a lot more rushed games recently than they've done in the past. Why is everyone using that picture? lol

Then let's hope they release game exclusively on PC then

 

[Three]

They released a lot more rushed games recently than they've done in the past. Why is everyone using that picture? lol

It's the same person using it over and over.

 

[Haint]

Couple of millions are a huge stretch
Xbox mostly sold in US and jrpg have the lowest interest there
Couple of hundreds of thousands already would be a huge success on Xbox. And given gamepass factor, couple of tens of thousands are more realistic expectation

Sony's likely paying peanuts for exclusivity, Nintendo paid $6 million for MH:Rise. The games could sell like absolute dog shit on PC and Xbox and Square would still be coming out ahead.

 

[ArtHands]

Revenue do not pay the bills anyway. Profits do.

Not to mention consoles having a bigger dip (4%) than PC's 0.2% in terms of revenue

 

[bender]

But keep you crusade for consoles sake.

mmmmmmm, console sake.

 

[March Climber]

Watching PC & Console gamers try to take credit for Mobile gaming growth

It is the massively ignored (and steadily growing) elephant in the room, especially for Japan. I find this thread’s conversations and arguments between #2 and #3 just as funny.