During the first half of 2026, the Japanese market saw a notable 13 percent increase in PC and PlayStation hardware shipments, reaching a total of 21 million units. The surge was largely propelled by the launch of Capcom’s latest survival‑horror installment, Resident Evil Requiem, which quickly became the top‑selling title across both platforms.
Sensor Tower’s most recent Japan Game Market Insights report highlights that Capcom emerged as the leading publisher for PC and PlayStation titles when measured by units sold. The analysis focuses exclusively on data from Steam and the PlayStation ecosystem, providing a clear picture of how traditional console powerhouses are performing alongside PC‑centric distribution channels. Resident Evil Requiem distinguished itself with an unprecedented first‑month performance on Steam, moving an estimated 2.6 million copies in its opening window. Sensor Tower’s commentary emphasized that this achievement underscores the growing relevance of Steam for premium Japanese games, granting developers immediate exposure to a worldwide audience while extending franchise reach beyond the historically console‑centric market.
The report also pointed to exceptionally high engagement levels among Steam players. On average, each purchaser logged roughly 25 hours of gameplay during the initial month—a figure that tops all comparable entries in the Resident Evil series. This deep playtime suggests that the title not only attracted a large purchase base but also succeeded in retaining player interest for extended sessions.
A key factor in the title’s momentum was the early creation of its Steam store page, which went live 264 days before the official launch. This long‑lead‑time allowed Capcom to generate sustained awareness, accumulate wishlists, and nurture community excitement across multiple regions, including the United States, China, Japan, Europe, and other markets. Sensor Tower noted that this strategic rollout turned pre‑release anticipation into consistent, post‑launch activity.
By July, Resident Evil Requiem had surpassed eight million units sold globally, bolstering Capcom’s quarterly financial results alongside the performance of its new RPG, Pragmata. The company also reported continued sales growth for legacy titles such as Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 2, indicating that the franchise’s back‑catalog remains a valuable revenue stream.
In contrast, the mobile sector experienced a modest decline. In‑app purchase (IAP) revenue fell 5.1 percent year‑on‑year to ¥1.56 trillion (approximately $10 billion), and total downloads dropped 5.4 percent to 585 million. Despite these dips, Japan retained its status as Asia’s second‑largest mobile gaming market, generating roughly twice the IAP revenue of South Korea and nearly four times that of Taiwan, according to Sensor Tower’s data. Domestic revenue accounted for 65 percent of total IAP earnings, with the remaining 35 percent coming from overseas markets.
Japanese publishers captured 28 percent of all mobile game downloads in the second quarter of 2026. While this share has stabilized since late 2026, it remains below the 32 percent share recorded a year earlier, reflecting the expanding influence of foreign publishers among Japanese gamers.
Advertising spending in the gaming sector also saw robust numbers. The industry allocated $749.7 million to ad campaigns and generated 208 billion impressions in the first half of the year, positioning gaming as the third‑largest advertising category in Japan.
Among mobile titles, eFootball emerged as the highest‑grossing game from January through July 2026, followed by Monster Strike, Last War: Survival, and Whiteout Survival. Sensor Tower attributed eFootball’s strong performance to Konami’s ability to align football‑themed updates with heightened global interest surrounding the World Cup, maintaining player engagement from April to July. In the action‑RPG segment, Dragon Quest Smash/Grow led both IAP revenue and overall earnings during the same period, showcasing the enduring popularity of established franchises in the mobile arena. Genre‑level analysis revealed that role‑playing games (RPGs) dominated mobile IAP revenue, capturing 32.8 percent of total spend.
Strategy games followed with a 23.8 percent share, while puzzle titles drove the highest proportion of downloads, accounting for 37.8 percent of all installs. These figures illustrate the varied preferences of Japanese mobile gamers, balancing monetization potential with download volume across different game types.
Overall, the H1 2026 data paints a picture of a dynamic Japanese gaming landscape: PC and console sales are on an upward trajectory, fueled by high‑profile releases like Resident Evil Requiem, while the mobile sector faces modest headwinds but continues to generate significant revenue and advertising activity. The insights provided by Sensor Tower highlight the importance of strategic launch timing, cross‑regional marketing, and genre diversification in sustaining growth across both traditional and emerging gaming platforms.