Many Japanese games do not release on Xbox because small and mid-sized studios do not have enough resources to support a platform that is not “even stocked in major retail stores” in Japan. This was explained by one of the developers of Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin.
TechRadar reported on a post shared on X by y-koichi, a developer who worked on the game. After saying that “Sakuna 2 will come out someday,” a player asked if it would release on Xbox, since the first game is only on PC, Switch, and PS4.
Why Some Japanese Games Don’t Release on Xbox 
“Xbox, well… Personally, it’s a console I have strong sentimental attachment to. But honestly, with our company’s manpower we just can’t afford to spread ourselves across multiple platforms like that. In Japan, it’s not even stocked in major retail stores,” the developer replied.
This situation is not just about Sakuna. Many mid-sized and indie Japanese games skip Xbox. Even big companies sometimes release Xbox versions later than other platforms, often when the game comes to Game Pass.
Microsoft has tried many times to grow in Japan, but without much success. The original Xbox did not perform well, and even though the Xbox 360 had strong support with JRPGs and partnerships, it still struggled. In recent years, Microsoft has worked with companies like Square Enix and SEGA.
Sales data from Famitsu supports this situation. Xbox Series has sold about 689,000 units in Japan so far, and in 2025 sales dropped by 75% compared to the previous year. In comparison, PS5 has sold over 7 million units, Switch 2 is close to 4 million, and the original Switch has reached 36 million.
Things could change with Project Helix, the new Xbox that will be shown soon. This new system will support both console and PC games, which means players could access Japanese games that are not currently available on Xbox.
AloJapan.com