Japanese Gaming Market in 2025

In 2025, the Japanese gaming market continues to hold its position as the third-largest globally by revenue. It accounts for 9.1 percent of global gaming expenditure, despite comprising only 2.2 percent of the worldwide gaming audience. While the market grew in local currency, reaching ¥2.483 trillion at the end of 2024 (a 4.3 percent increase from the previous year) it declined in U.S. dollar terms due to a weaker yen. The market value in dollars fell by 3.3 percent, totaling $16.6 billion.

Japanese Gaming Market in 2025

Japanese Gaming Market in 2025

Japan’s gaming economy remains segmented by platform. The mobile segment, which reached ¥1.742 trillion, experienced a 5.2 percent year-on-year increase, though in dollar terms, it declined by 2.4 percent to $11.5 billion. The PC market showed the strongest growth, rising by 16.2 percent to ¥240 billion and 7.8 percent in dollar terms to $1.6 billion. The console market declined both in yen and dollar terms, falling by 3.1 percent to ¥525 billion and by 10.1 percent to $3.5 billion. This drop is partly attributed to the reduced performance of premium game sales and the aging Nintendo Switch hardware, which has yet to be replaced by a new generation console.

Japanese Gaming Market in 2025

Console Market Led by Nintendo Switch

By the end of 2024, Nintendo Switch held a dominant market share in Japan, with 35 million units sold, representing approximately 70 percent of the console hardware base. PlayStation followed with 14.4 million units, accounting for 29 percent, while Xbox remained marginal, with just 0.76 million units and a 1 percent market share. Despite the overall decline in console revenue, the platform remains central to Japanese gaming culture, with Nintendo’s strong domestic appeal reinforcing its position.

Japanese Gaming Market in 2025

PC and Mobile Segments Show Different Growth Patterns

The PC gaming segment in Japan has been steadily growing since 2019, driven initially by the pandemic and supported by increased player engagement. However, Newzoo forecasts a slowdown in this growth from 2024 through 2027. The mobile sector remains the largest by revenue but shows signs of stabilization in dollar terms due to currency fluctuations. On average, Japanese mobile gamers spend three times more than their counterparts in the United Kingdom. In contrast, although consoles are popular in Japan, the average British gamer spends more on console games than the average Japanese player.

Japanese Gaming Market in 2025

Demographics and Preferences of Japanese Gamers

Player demographics in Japan reveal a slightly older gaming population compared to the U.S. and Europe. Among PC and console players, 60 percent are male, and their average age is 34.7. This contrasts with averages of 30.9 in the United States and 33.1 in Europe. Around 60 percent of Japanese gamers reported playing on PC or console in the past six months, which is lower than the participation rates in the United States (66 percent) and Europe (71 percent).

Japanese gamers on Windows PC and console place a higher value on story and narrative in games than Western players. Open-world games are less appealing in this market, and single-player games tend to be more popular. This is reflected in the strong performance of domestic narrative-driven titles.

Japanese Gaming Market in 2025

Game Genres and Franchise Popularity

In the console segment, role-playing games, battle royales, and shooters are among the most popular genres. While Japanese gamers often prefer single-player experiences, competitive multiplayer games such as Apex Legends and Fortnite have a significant following. Compared to gamers in the United Kingdom, Japanese players engage less with sports and sandbox games.

On PC, the leading genres are shooters, adventure, and role-playing games. Japanese players are particularly engaged with shooter subgenres like battle arenas and battle royales, playing these types of games at significantly higher rates than British gamers. The mobile gaming segment is dominated by simulation, RPG, and adventure genres, though there is some lack of clarity around the exact scope of what is categorized as simulation.

Fantasy and science fiction are the most favored settings across all platforms in Japan. On consoles, franchises such as Super Mario, Pokémon, and Splatoon top the charts. Among Western properties, only Minecraft, Fortnite, and Apex Legends have reached similar levels of popularity. The PC platform shows more openness to international franchises, where games like Counter-Strike 2, DOTA 2, and PUBG lead the free-to-play segment.

Japanese Gaming Market in 2025

Dominance of Local Content in Premium Titles

Among paid console releases over the past three years, eight of the most played titles in Japan originated from local developers. These are predominantly single-player, narrative-focused games. On PC, co-op games are more prominent among the top titles, with Elden Ring being the only major domestic leader.

Free-to-play titles also reflect different patterns. On consoles, Apex Legends, Fortnite, and Rainbow Six: Siege are among the top games by user count. On PC, the leading titles include Counter-Strike 2, DOTA 2, and PUBG, showing the ongoing importance of multiplayer formats on this platform.

Japanese Gaming Market in 2025

Final Thoughts

Despite a decrease in market value when measured in U.S. dollars, the Japanese gaming market continues to show resilience and complexity. The platform landscape is shifting gradually, with the Nintendo Switch still maintaining a strong position even as its lifecycle nears the end. Player preferences remain distinct, characterized by a strong interest in narrative, single-player experiences, and specific genre choices. These trends provide essential insights for developers and publishers aiming to engage with one of the most unique and mature gaming markets in the world. Here is a list of all the games mentioned in the article:

1. Super Mario
2. Pokémon
3. Splatoon
4. Minecraft
5. Fortnite
6. Apex Legends
7. Rainbow Six: Siege
8. Counter-Strike 2
9. DOTA 2
10. PUBG
11. Elden Ring