Pokémon and PlayStation lead Japanese sales in the last week of 2016

After pulling some strong numbers in the days leading up to Christmas, console and videogame sales declined generally in the last week of the year in Japan. PlayStation 4 was the best selling console, while Pokémon Sun and Moon took the crown in the software chart, according to the data released by Media Create.

And since all numbers are down from last week, we need to look at how much they fell in order to judge their performance. PlayStation 4 continued having some very strong sales this holiday season, with 83k consoles sold this week. This number includes the 9k PlayStation 4 Pro sold in the same time frame, which makes clear that the Japanese audience is more interested in the lower price of the Slim model. The sales are also very encouraging not just for representing an excellent hold from the 100k sold last week, but because it is a sign that the console can pull some very strong sales in the first week of the year, which is traditionally when Sony consoles perform the best.

On the other hand, Nintendo 3DS experienced a much deeper decline, falling from 176k consoles sold last week to 70k. Nintendo consoles tend to sell better in the days before Christmas, so we can only expect lower numbers from now on. Down the chart, PlayStation Vita sold 25k consoles, which is nearly half of the number of last week, and Wii U went back to having a testimonial presence, selling just above 2k consoles.

1. PlayStation 4 – 83.337
2. Nintendo 3DS – 70.522
3. PlayStation Vita – 25.487
4. Wii U – 2.589
5. PlayStation 3 – 1.002
6. Xbox One – 221

On the software chart, Pokémon Sun and Moon continued reigning supreme, as they did last week. The declined of most titles ranged the 50% and 60%. However, some select games like Final Fantasy XV fell a percentage closer to 15%. This is yet another very good hold for the Square Enix flagship, though its total numbers are still far from what Final Fantasy XIII sold in 2009.

1. Pokemon Sun / Moon (3DS)  90.891 / 2.949.287 (-67%)
2. Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS (3DS) – 73.002 / 790.530 (-73%)
3. Momotaro Dentetsu 2017: Tachiagare Nippon!! (3DS) – 63.577 / 196.452 (-52%)
4. Yo-Kai Watch 3: Sukiyaki (3DS) – 49.350 / 561.508 (-72%)
5. Final Fantasy XV (PS4) – 30.381 / 884.422 (-23%)
6. Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition (PSV) – 23.765 / 1.042.463 (-54%)
7. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (PS4) – 19.822 / 312.500 (-34%)
8. Miitopia (3DS) – 18.259 / 120.971 (-62%)
9. Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome amiibo (3DS) – 10.858 / 85.842 (-51%)
10. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Heroes (3DS) – 10.710 / 59.794 (-52%)
11. Minecraft: Wii U Edition (WiiU) – 9.713 / 257.654 (-70%)
12. Watch Dogs 2 (PS4) – 9.466 / 89.237
13. SaGa: Scarlet Grace (PSV) – 9.208 / 88.673 (-36%)
14. Grand Theft Auto V [New Price Edition] (PS4) – 8.429 / 225.839
15. Mario Party: Star Rush (3DS) – 7.137 / 135.024 (-70%)
16. The Last Guardian (PS4) – 6.452 / 108.836
17. Sumikko Gurashi: Mura o Tsukurundesu (3DS) – 6.413 / 137.580 (-75%)
18. Battlefield 1 (PS4) – 5.791 / 237.636
19. Mario Kart 7 (3DS) – 5.741 / 2.714.357
20. Resident Evil 6 (PS4) – 5.701 / 19.814