A survey reveals that the PS5 and Xbox Series are less popular among Gen Z gamers in Japan

PS5 and Xbox Series Less Popular – Preferences for gaming platforms seem to be undergoing a significant shift. While consoles like PS and Xbox were once the majority choice for players, now PC and smartphones are emerging as alternatives and even more popular devices used by the public to play electronic games.

This phenomenon of changing platform preferences is evident in Japan. In a recent survey, it was found that console devices are no longer the primary choice for Gen Z gamers in the country.


The dominance of console platforms as gaming media in Japan seems to have come to an end. According to a report from SHIBUYA109 Entertainment based on a survey conducted in 2023, the PS5 and Xbox consoles are less popular among Gen Z gamers in Japan.

This survey was conducted through web surveys and interviews involving 700 Generation Z individuals aged 15-24, where 80% stated that they play video games. Among this 80%, 44.9% stated that they play games every day and spend an average of 100 minutes per day playing games.

From the survey, it is known that there is a percentage breakdown of gaming platform preferences used by Gen Z gamers. It is worth noting that the total percentage from this survey may exceed 100% because each participant was allowed to choose more than one platform.


Here are the survey results from SHIBUYA109 Entertainment:
  • Smartphone (94.7%)
  • Nintendo Switch (38.5%)
  • PC (33.2%)
  • Tablet (26.5%)
  • Nintendo DS (12.2%)
From these results, it is evident that major brands like PS and Xbox did not make it into the top 5 choices for gaming media among Generation Z. However, handheld console types like Switch and DS are still quite popular in the country.

Meanwhile, Smartphone and PC have managed to secure the first and third positions as the top choices for gaming media in the country.

Economy Becomes the Main Factor


From the survey results, it is known that economic factors have a significant influence on the decision of Gen Z gamers in choosing gaming devices. Still from the same study, it is revealed that the average spending of Gen Z on games in a year reaches 10,446 Yen or around Rp 1.083 million, which is equivalent to the cost of buying one AAA game.

This data received a response from one Japanese gamer through a tweet on social media X/Twitter. In the post, they stated that the cost required to buy AAA games on PS5 and Xbox Series consoles is very expensive.

Furthermore, in the same post, Gen Z gamers prefer free-to-play games, FPS games, and small-budget games popularized by streamers, which are considered more famous and equally enjoyable compared to many AAA games.

Consoles are increasingly squeezed as players can now also get AAA games previously released exclusively on consoles through PC at a cheaper price. This automatically directs their choice to own a PC rather than PS or Xbox to play these flagship games.

That's the information about the less popularity of PS5 and Xbox Series consoles among some segments of Gen Z gamers in Japan according to a survey. What do you think about this?