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Niko Partners


Hardware Market Share in Asia (excl. Japan)

According to Niko’s 2024 Gamer Behavior & Market Insights Reports, PlayStation is the leading console brand by market share in Asia excluding Japan.

We note that Japan is unique in this case as the Nintendo Switch accounts for over 60% market share there. However, Japan is the leading market in Asia in terms of absolute PS5 units sold, with over 6 million as of September 2024.

Interestingly, Niko’s research found that within Southeast Asia, PlayStation has the highest market share in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand by a notable margin when compared to other SEA markets, although the absolute number of units sold is much lower. PlayStation is also the leading brand by market share in the MENA region, with many first party titles being translated into Arabic due to the growing demand.

PS5 Pro to Sell Over 10 Million Units

With no comparable mid-generation upgrade from Microsoft, and Nintendo’s upcoming console expected to be less powerful than the base PS5, Sony is positioning the PS5 Pro as a premium offering for console gamers seeking superior graphics performance. Although the $699 price point will make PS5 Pro the most expensive console on the market, it is still priced lower than a comparable gaming PC. This is essentially a luxury offering for gamers who already have a console game library and value living room experience, convenience, and guaranteed performance.

We believe the main audience for the PS5 Pro are early adopters of the PS5 and price insensitive gamers on other current or last generation consoles looking for higher fidelity experiences. We also expect to see increased geographic expansion compared to the PS4 Pro as Asia and the Middle East, which have become notable markets for PlayStation, see a rising middle class willing to invest in high-end entertainment. In our recent blog post on the success of Black Myth: Wukong in China, we noted that PS5 sales had increased significantly due to the popularity of the game.

The base PS5 models will continue to be the main entry point into current gen gaming, and we continue to see the PS5 Digital Edition increase its market share due to its lower price and increasing acceptance of digital only gaming. A price drop for the base models, combined with major releases like Grand Theft Auto 6, would be far more impactful in expanding the PS5’s installed base.

However, we do not expect to see a price drop on PlayStation hardware this year or in the first half of 2025. We estimate the PS5 Pro will account for roughly 10% of lifetime PS5 sales, pushing it over 10 million units.

 

[Cakeboxer]

I think it only sells over 10 million if it gets a PS3 like price drop next year.

 

[Draugoth]

Selling 10 million uits will be enough to jutify a PS6 Pro for $999

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

I'm actually surprised that Xbox has that amount of market share in Asia excluding Japan. That's probably bigger percentage wise than what they have currently in continental Europe.

 

[Hookshot]

10 mil? But Asia has over 2 bil!

 

[jm89]

XB 16.8%​

 

[reinking]

Banjo64 right now….

 

[Astray]

XB 16.8%​

It's combined console install base (so all Xbox ones + all series consoles etc). Sounds reasonable to me.

 

[Jaybe]

Xbox at 16.8%… not after the WSJ numbers from yesterday

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

We estimate the PS5 Pro will account for roughly 10% of lifetime PS5 sales, pushing it over 10 million units.

 

[Felessan]

Xbox at 16.8%… not after the WSJ numbers from yesterday

XSS with "argentina" gold gamepass conversion is popular in developing countries - it's best price/value offer in gaming.
But total console sales are so low that it doesn't have any impact on global sales.

 

[Woopah]

It would be really interesting to know how Switch compares against PS4 and PS5 individually in these places.

We can see that Switch is more popular in South Korea and Taiwan, but potentially this is not the case in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

 

[SweetTooth]

It's combined console install base (so all Xbox ones + all series consoles etc). Sounds reasonable to me.

Even then

 

[Astray]

Even then

Asia is more than Japan/China tho.

You got Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and many other countries that buy all sorts of consoles and PC parts.

 

[SweetTooth]

Asia is more than Japan/China tho.

You got Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and many other countries that buy all sorts of consoles and PC parts.

I know. The numbers simply don't add up. You have 200m PS4+5 vs 70m Series+One

We know that Xbox sales is concentrated alot in NA while PS sales is more spread out WW.

The numbers don't add up at all.

 

[pqueue]

not gonna happen.

 

[Pedro Motta]

Banjo64

It's coming.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Nintendo Switch competing with 2 console generations and still getting close. What a behemoth!

 

[yazenov]

PS5 Pro will account for roughly 10% of lifetime PS5 sales, pushing it over 10 million units.

PS4 Pro sold around 20% of the PS4 total lifetime sales, so PS5 Pro selling 10% of PS5 lifetime sales sounds reasonable, if not a bit conservative.

GTA 6 + Pro bundles and holiday discounts could help achieve those numbers.

 

[leizzra]

We estimate the PS5 Pro will account for roughly 10% of lifetime PS5 sales, pushing it over 10 million units.

Yup, I think the same. It probably won't be as high as PS4Pro but it still will be good for the type of the product it will be.

Selling 10 million uits will be enough to jutify a PS6 Pro for $999

How? If you sell 10 mln consoles for $700 and let's say 90 mln for $500 (they will probably reduce the price some day) I think that you'll have different conclusion. Especially when you need to sell more consoles to sell more games and accessories.

 

[Tsaki]

They take into account hardware that actually gets supported, so PS4 and X1 obviously. There is no reason to count Wii U and 3DS since those are dead platforms that produce no revenue, have no store and no online services. Hell, the PS3 would be more valuable than those since it is actually online and functional. So yeah, the only relevant Nintendo platform that exists at the moment is the Switch.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

I'm always wary of Niko partners estimates. They tend to overestimate Xbox and underestimate Nintendo.

It is also interesting to see metrics on country basis, because no way XB is 16.8% unless they provide more detailed data. Korea an China? They are PC/PS5. Maybe South East? But there PS is dominant.

Otherwise, some interesting insights on consumer behavior provided at the linked report, check them out.

 

[Bernoulli]

Asia is more than Japan/China tho.

You got Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and many other countries that buy all sorts of consoles and PC parts.

but china is asia

 

[Investor9872]

Sony sold an estimated 20 million+ PS4 Pro, so 10 million PS5 Pro is absolutely achievable in the lifetime of the PS5 ... easily!

 

[Physiognomonics]

Yup, I think the same. It probably won't be as high as PS4Pro but it still will be good for the type of the product it will be.



How? If you sell 10 mln consoles for $700 and let's say 90 mln for $500 (they will probably reduce the price some day) I think that you'll have different conclusion. Especially when you need to sell more consoles to sell more games and accessories.

PS5 Pro will sell what Sony will produce and distribute in those markets. It won't depend on price or how PS4 Pro sold before in those markets.

 

[LordOcidax]

Nintendo Switch competing with 2 console generations and still getting close. What a behemoth!

Can’t wait to see Switch 1 + Switch 2 numbers.

 

[Robb]

Nintendo has +30%, excluding Japan? What in the world do they have if you include Japan? +50%?

 

[DenchDeckard]

Can’t wait to see Switch 1 + Switch 2 numbers.

It's going to be wild.

 

[SweetTooth]

Can’t wait to see Switch 1 + Switch 2 numbers.

While we are at it, why not we add all consoles ever created!

 

[LordOcidax]

While we are at it, why not we add all consoles ever created!

Not a bad idea because Niko groups PS5 + PS4 and excluded Japan to presents number with Sony as a leader hardware seller in Asia .

 

[Heisenberg007]

GTA 6 + Pro bundles and holiday discounts could help achieve those numbers.

 

[Felessan]

Not a bad idea because Niko groups PS5 + PS4 and excluded Japan to presents number with Sony as a leader hardware seller in Asia .

Those reports are done for market research purposes and not console warring purposes
And for market research it completely feasible to a) exclude Japan as it market structure differs significantly and should be presented separately, b) include last gen as it is still have healthy active userbase

 

[DenchDeckard]

Just out of interest. Why do they group the PS4 + PS5. seems odd?

answered above!

I expect from next year they will add both Switch + Switch 2 as there will be millions upon millions playing the switch still.

 

[LordOcidax]

Those reports are done for market research purposes and not console warring purposes
And for market research it completely feasible to a) exclude Japan as it market structure differs significantly and should be presented separately, b) include last gen as it is still have healthy active userbase

a) Did you really think that Xbox One user base have an healthy active user base in Asia? b)Japan is the biggest market for hardware manufacturers… Why to exclude Japan? c)If this is about hardware… Why to exclude Wii U and 3DS? The only research i see here is, how they managed to put Sony on top in Asia in a comparative chart…

 

[delishcaek]

I know. The numbers simply don't add up. You have 200m PS4+5 vs 70m Series+One

We know that Xbox sales is concentrated alot in NA while PS sales is more spread out WW.

The numbers don't add up at all.

Xbox One + Series is almost 90m. It's like 58 and 28.5m and 15% seems like a reasonable estimate to me judging from the ROW sales figures we have.

ROW sales (which exclude NA, EU and JP)

• PS4/PS5 - 35m
  Switch - 16.30m
  Xbox One/Series - 14.2m
  
  
• 65 million total
  
  
• Playstation 53%
  Switch 25%
  Xbox 22%

PS5 and Series sales are from VGChartz as no one seems to have region numbers for PS5 and Series, they shouldn't be too far off.

 

[Felessan]

a) Did you really think that Xbox One user base have an healthy active user base in Asia? b)Japan is the biggest market for hardware manufacturers… Why to exclude Japan? c)If this is about hardware… Why to exclude Wii U and 3DS? The only research i see here is, how they managed to put Sony on top in Asia in a comparative chart…

Again
1. I would envision that xb1 is somewhat healthy base. I don't know about Asia, but in Eastern Europe Xbox has its foothold, because you could get 3 years of gamepass ultimate for less then 50$ iirc and it's insane value proposition, and xbox is somewhat optimal price/value for playing it
2. Japan is so different from other Asian countries so there is no point to bundle them together. Strategies targeting Japan and rest of Asia should be so different and there is no point to put them together
3. WiiU probably non-relevant everywhere by now, as well as 3ds. It's 7 years since they left the field, so their user base hardly "healthy and active" anymore

This researches usually target companies that want to sell something and contain info that might help to do a proper selling strategy. No point to include irrelevant (WiiU) or disturbing (Japan) elements.

 

[Woopah]

I know. The numbers simply don't add up. You have 200m PS4+5 vs 70m Series+One

We know that Xbox sales is concentrated alot in NA while PS sales is more spread out WW.

The numbers don't add up at all.

Xbox One + Series is almost 90m. It's like 58 and 28.5m and 15% seems like a reasonable estimate to me judging from the ROW sales figures we have.

ROW sales (which exclude NA, EU and JP)

• PS4/PS5 - 35m
  Switch - 16.30m
  Xbox One/Series - 14.2m
  
  
• 65 million total
  
  
• Playstation 53%
  Switch 25%
  Xbox 22%

PS5 and Series sales are from VGChartz as no one seems to have region numbers for PS5 and Series, they shouldn't be too far off.

Worldwide, it's around 176m PS5/PS4 vs. 86m Xbox Series/One. So a 2.05 ratio in favour of Sony.

According to these stats, the ratio to Sony in Asia 2.36, so noticeably more.

If I had to guess, I'd say that this is because the Xbox One did decently in MENA and the Series S really benefited from PS5 shortages.

Nintendo has +30%, excluding Japan? What in the world do they have if you include Japan? +50%?

Those 30 million + Switch means Nintendo probably has an over 50% market share if you included Japan.

 

[mckmas8808]

It's combined console install base (so all Xbox ones + all series consoles etc). Sounds reasonable to me.

Good point!

 

[Omnipunctual Godot]

Sony sold an estimated 20 million+ PS4 Pro, so 10 million PS5 Pro is absolutely achievable in the lifetime of the PS5 ... easily!

It was also half the price.

 

[nordique]

switch is less than i thought

 

[Woopah]

switch is less than i thought

Makes sense if Japan is excluded. The global total of PS4 + PS5 is higher than the global total of Switch.

 

[EDMIX]

GTA 6 + Pro bundles and holiday discounts could help achieve those numbers.

I don't think many fully get how massive GTA 6 is going to be.

We are talking about something that is likely going to shatter every major record known to man regarding the launch of any entertainment product, not game, not film...ANY PRODUCT period

This is one of the few times I'd suggest folks pre-order them physical copies, as this game is going to be massive.

 

[nordique]

Makes sense if Japan is excluded. The global total of PS4 + PS5 is higher than the global total of Switch.

Fair. I guess I just had a very different perception when I visited gaming stores in Malaysia and Singapore. I felt PC was #1 followed by switch and then PlayStation

But I’ve never been to any other Asian countries including Japan and I (incorrectly) presumed because it’s by and large massive and the clear market leader in Japan, every where else followed suit

 

[Woopah]

Fair. I guess I just had a very different perception when I visited gaming stores in Malaysia and Singapore. I felt PC was #1 followed by switch and then PlayStation

But I’ve never been to any other Asian countries including Japan and I (incorrectly) presumed because it’s by and large massive and the clear market leader in Japan, every where else followed suit

Switch could still be the market leader in terms of installbase. If we look at global saleas

PS4 + PS5 = 176 million / Switch = 143 million. So PlayStation is ahead by a ratio of 1.23

According to the Niko data, PlayStation is ahead by the exact same ratio in the Asia region. So its likely that the Switch installbase is hgher than PS5 or PS4 individually.

Of course the situaiton will be diferent country to country. But Nintendo lacks the infrasturucutre in these countries that Sony has. Its going to take some time for the rest of Asia to become like Japan (if it ever does). We are seeing some hints of that in South Korea and Taiwan.

 

[Edmund]

It should be 1.68% for Xbox.