Japan Sees Decline in PC Gamers Despite Booming Market Growth
A recent report reveals a significant decrease in the number of PC gamers in Japan over the past decade, even as the overall gaming market expands.
Overview
A new analysis by Famitsu reveals that Japan has seen a drop of about three million PC gamers in the last decade, despite the gaming market’s overall growth.
The gaming market in Japan is now larger than ever, with projections pointing to continued expansion, yet the community of PC gamers has shrunk significantly. According to Kadokawa ASCII Research Laboratories, although the PC and console gaming markets are closely aligned in profitability, there are fewer gamers engaging with PCs.
Market Size Estimates
- Overall Market 2024: ¥2,396.1 billion ($16.2 billion)
- PC Gaming Market 2024: ¥265.3 billion ($1.8 billion)
Gamer Population Over Time
- PC Gamers in 2024: 14.52 million
- PC Gamers in 2014: 17.49 million
This trend of declining PC gamers despite increasing sales contrasts with earlier reports from firms like Newzoo, which highlighted impressive growth in the PC gaming sector recently. The rise in PC gaming prices, alongside shifts to mobile gaming, may explain this development.
As noted, even with a general decline in participants, the spending per gamer has likely increased, possibly due to the rise in prices for gaming hardware and software.
