When the Nintendo Switch 2 launched this summer, a cheaper, Japanese-only version of the console was made available domestically. Some speculated the more affordable console (which cost around $340 compared to the multi-language Switch 2’s $480) was offered to address a weak yen or the cost of living in Japan, but whatever the reason, it helped: the Switch 2 was Japan’s biggest ever console launch, according to VGC.
In June, the other Japanese gaming behemoth, Sony, said it was keeping an eye on the Switch 2 in terms of competition, but wasn’t all that concerned because of the PlayStation 5’s “differentiated strategy,” as reported by Polygon. Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Hideaki Nishini said that the PlayStation 5 was “the best place of play.”
“We believe PS5’s level of performance is required to achieve a great experience on big screens. And in this way, we have provided a unique offering to players and creators in this current console generation,” Nishino said.
But over the last few weeks, Sony has displayed a renewed interest in its Japanese market, holding a Japan-centric State of Play on November 11 that focused on games developed in the region, and also announced a cheaper PS5 that, similar to the Switch 2, is only for use in Japan. It’s the first region-locked console Sony has released since the PlayStation 2, and a new report suggests this maneuver may be because Sony is finally considering Nintendo a proper competitor.
According to a report from Push Square (based on a translation from Install Base user Hartmann, which lines up with machine translation of the segment), Japanese media outlet TV Tokyo discussed the price drop with local experts, who suggested that Sony wasn’t bothered by PlayStation’s shrinking market in Japan until hearing of Nintendo’s cheaper Switch 2. According to the TV Tokyo segment, Sony executives decided to ape Nintendo’s approach, and allegedly approved the PS5 price cut in just four months.
The reporters also suggest that Sony president Nishino, who stepped into the role this past April after taking over for Dutch-born Hermen Hulst, felt so strongly about PlayStation’s flagging brand in Japan (Nishino is Japanese) that he helped push the region-specific console to market.
The Japanese-only digital version of the PS5 goes on sale on November 21.
