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The PS5 sold 118,000 units in Japan in its opening four days, several times higher than what the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S managed in six days. According to Famitsu, Sony's console has gotten off to a strong headstart in the region over its Microsoft competitor.
While the PS5 shifted more than 100,000 units in the days after its release, the new Xbox consoles only sold 21,000 units in almost a week, meaning Sony sold nearly five times more consoles than Microsoft during launch week. Famitsu also states that the best-selling PS5 game in Japan so far is Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which sold 18,640 copies, although Demon's Souls wasn't far behind on 18,607.
While it's an impressive start for Sony, there are a few details to bear in mind. Firstly, sales are far lower than they were for the PS4, which shifted more than 300,000 units during its Japanese launch week in 2013 (although that launch came later than other regions, and didn't take place during a pandemic). Secondly, while the Xbox Series X has sold fewer copies, Famitsu reports that the console is sold out in Japan and that retailers have been conducting lottery sales, which could suggest that Microsoft hasn't been able to keep up with demand.
It's also worth pointing out that while this looks like a significant lead for Sony, these figures only pertain to launch week in one country. Elsewhere, it's been looking pretty difficult to get hold of either console, so it'll be interesting to see how results shape up in other regions.
If you're still struggling to find your own new console, check out our Xbox Series X price guide or PS5 price guide.
