Xbox head Phil Spencer said that the position of the Xbox One is ‘unacceptable’ in Japan and that he pledges to “do a much better job with the Xbox Series X”, in an interview with Gamertag Radio.
Spencer's comments come in light of the fact that Xbox consoles have consistently struggled in Japan, and tend to be among the lowest selling games systems in the region. Although the Microsoft giant does extremely well globally, it hasn’t been able to find its feet with its Japanese audience.
According to market research company IDC, only 0.3% of global sales for the Xbox One comes from Japan. Famitsu’s annual sales report outlined that only 15,339 units were sold of the Xbox One during 2018. When compared to the 1.7 million units sold for the PlayStation 4 the same year, you can understand Spencer's frustration.
Spencer also reiterated his plans to create or acquire a Japanese first-party studio for future Xbox titles. He said he feels Japan needs more homegrown studios as there are so many third-party games not getting an Xbox release - which is something that Spencer says “makes him cringe every time”.
Phil Spencer talked about how the Xbox Series X reveal could have been a disaster during the same interview. Despite the controversy, the next-gen console seems to be shaping up nicely, and with the new Outriders trailer confirming the RPG shooter is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X, it looks like we’re in for some impressive next-gen titles.
Will you be getting an Xbox Series X? Check out our list of titles coming to the next-gen Microsoft console.
