During the first half of 2026, the Japanese market saw a notable 13 percent increase in PC and PlayStation hardware sales, reaching a total of 21 million units. The surge was largely propelled by the launch of Capcom’s latest blockbuster, Resident Evil Requiem, which captured the attention of gamers across multiple platforms. Sensor Tower’s most recent Japan Game Market Insights report highlights that Capcom emerged as the leading publisher for both PC and PlayStation titles when measured by units sold, underscoring the company’s strong foothold in the region’s premium gaming segment.
Sensor Tower’s analysis focuses exclusively on data from Steam and the PlayStation ecosystem, providing a clear picture of how high‑end console and PC titles are performing in Japan. According to the report, Resident Evil Requiem achieved an unprecedented first‑month performance on Steam, moving an estimated 2.6 million copies in its opening window.
This milestone represents the highest debut for any Resident Evil title on the platform and signals a growing appetite among Japanese gamers for premium experiences on PC. “The result underscores Steam’s growing importance to premium Japanese games, giving Capcom immediate access to a large global audience while extending the series beyond its traditional console strength,” Sensor Tower explained.
The statement reflects a broader industry trend in which developers are increasingly leveraging Steam’s worldwide reach to complement their console releases, thereby maximizing revenue potential and brand exposure. Beyond raw sales numbers, the report also points to strong engagement metrics. Steam users who purchased Resident Evil Requiem logged an average of 25 hours of playtime during the first month—a figure that tops the series’ comparable titles and suggests deep immersion and satisfaction among players. Sensor Tower attributes this engagement to a well‑executed launch strategy that began with a Steam store page opened 264 days before the game’s official release.
This extended pre‑launch period allowed the title to build substantial awareness, accumulate wishlists, and generate sustained buzz across key markets such as the United States, China, Japan, and Europe. By July, Resident Evil Requiem had surpassed eight million units sold worldwide, contributing significantly to Capcom’s latest financial results alongside the success of the upcoming title Pragmata.
The company also reported continued sales growth from earlier entries in the franchise, including Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 2, indicating that the brand’s resurgence is not limited to a single release but reflects a broader revitalization of the series. In contrast to the robust performance of premium PC and console titles, Japan’s mobile sector showed signs of contraction. In‑app purchase (IAP) revenue from mobile games fell 5.1 percent year‑on‑year to ¥1.56 trillion (approximately $10 billion), while total downloads dropped 5.4 percent to 585 million.
Despite the dip, Japan remains Asia’s second‑largest mobile gaming market, generating twice the IAP revenue of South Korea and nearly four times that of Taiwan, according to Sensor Tower data. Domestic publishers accounted for 28 percent of mobile game downloads in the second quarter of 2026, a share that has stabilized since late 2026 but remains below the 32 percent share recorded a year earlier as overseas publishers expand their presence among Japanese players. Advertising spend within the gaming sector also demonstrated strong momentum. Over the first six months of the year, the industry allocated $749.7 million to advertising and generated 208 billion impressions, positioning gaming as the third‑largest advertising category in Japan.
This investment reflects the competitive nature of the market, where publishers vie for user attention through extensive promotional campaigns. Among mobile titles, eFootball emerged as the highest‑grossing game in Japan from January through July 2026, followed by Monster Strike, Last War: Survival, and Whiteout Survival. Sensor Tower credited eFootball’s performance to Konami’s strategic alignment of football‑themed content with the heightened interest surrounding the World Cup, sustaining player momentum from April to July.
In the action‑RPG segment, Dragon Quest Smash/Grow claimed the top spot for both IAP revenue and overall earnings during the same period. Genre analysis revealed that role‑playing games (RPGs) dominated mobile IAP revenue, capturing 32.8 percent of total spend, while strategy games contributed 23.8 percent. Puzzle games, however, led in download volume, accounting for 37.8 percent of all mobile game installations, highlighting the continued popularity of casual, easy‑to‑pick‑up experiences. Overall, the H1 2026 data paints a picture of a Japanese gaming landscape that is thriving on high‑quality PC and console releases, exemplified by Resident Evil Requiem’s breakout success, while simultaneously navigating modest challenges in the mobile arena.
The insights suggest that publishers who can effectively blend strong launch tactics, cross‑platform availability, and sustained post‑launch support are best positioned to capture both revenue and player loyalty in this dynamic market.