The latest Japanese hardware and software charts are in, and they don't make for particularly positive reading if you're sitting on the Sony side of the fence. To start with, Astro Bot has entered in second place, but with just under 12,700 copies sold at retail, that's hardly worth bragging about. It's an incredibly low debut for a first-party PlayStation release. Here's hoping that digital sales are a lot more robust, because the spectacular platformer deserves all the success it can get.
Then there's the PS5 itself, which has seen its numbers fall off a cliff following the console's recent price increase in Japan. The current-gen system managed to move just 11,800 units — which is less than half the total that it posted in the previous week. Predictable, we suppose, but it's not a good look for Sony — especially in its native country, where its influence has significantly diminished over the years.
Elsewhere, Visions of Mana has dropped out of the top ten entirely, after having what many would describe as a disappointing fourth place debut in the week prior. Indeed, Astro Bot is the only PlayStation title to make it into the top ten this time around — everything else is on Nintendo Switch.
Ifs and bots
PS5 accessories also going up in cost
Robert (or Rob if you're lazy) is an assistant editor of Push Square, and has been a fan of PlayStation since the 90s, when Tekken 2 introduced him to the incredible world of video games. He still takes his fighting games seriously, but RPGs are his true passion. The Witcher, Persona, Dragon Quest, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, Trails, Tales — he's played 'em all. A little too much, some might say.
This what we need in Europe console sales drop and games sales poor.
But we never learn in Europe UK, we just pay and play
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