Japan has historically been known as a country whose games industry has been driven by domestic developers and hardware, as well as mobile, but that may be changing. While PC has been growing globally, according to a new industry report, its rise has been particularly notable in the Japanese market, where revenue has grown over 234 percent to record levels in just the last four years.

Typically in the past, it’s been console games on hardware from Nintendo and Sony that have dominated the market in Japan, with even global heavyweights like Microsoft struggling to break through. In recent years, however, there’s been a notable shift as worldwide gaming brands have been able to make more of an impact in the country, with this shift being most notable on PC. As streaming culture has grown through platforms like Twitch and (for Japan) especially YouTube, driven by replayable and content-driven global hits like multiplayer shooters and titles like Minecraft, PC gaming has found an increasing market in the country.

1 billion yen, such revenue in 2025 surpassed 300 billion yen for the first time. Steam’s top games of the year in Japan, in contrast to consoles where Nintendo’s Switch and Switch 2 exclusives dominate, are driven by global free-to-play titles, with Counter-Strike 2, PUBG: Battlegrounds, and Apex Legends being the three biggest games in terms of revenue. Of the top twelve titles, only Monster Hunter Wilds from Capcom was developed by a Japanese company, with hits like ARC Raiders and Call of Duty also making the list.

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