Japan’s Akihabara district has long been a destination for fans looking to purchase classic video games, but the region’s supply has dwindled in recent years.
If you’re a video game collector, you’ve either dreamed of visiting Akihabara or have already made your way there. Truth be told, Tokyo’s electric mecca isn’t quite what it once was; it used to be the best place in the world to seek out rare releases, but that was before the internet trivialized buying used games. Akiba has shifted with trends over time, and it doesn’t usually offer the same value or exclusivity that it once did.
found that physical games accounted for about 70 percent of total sales in Japan in 2022, including 65 percent of PlayStation 5 games and 77 percent of Switch releases. By comparison, Sony says that 70 percent of full PS4 and PS5 game sales in 2022 were digital across the world. It’s not just Akihabara, of course. Physical video game stores are all over the place in Japan, from big chains like Book Off to small family-run shops.
’s figure of 77 percent for Japan in 2022. The digital-only Xbox Series S has slightly outsold the Series X, meanwhile, but the Xbox platform is so niche in Japan that the physical gaming market is almost nonexistent. “I think that’s tracking in Japan, too, but at a much slower level,” Ricciardi says of the global trend toward digital. “Physical is still strong here, and there’s still value in having your game out in physical day one, even if you’re doing an indie game.