State of Japan Gaming 2026 (Sensor Tower)

Summary

• Japan's mobile game in-app purchase revenue declined 5.1% year over year in the last 12 months but remained one of the largest in Asia.§1
• Japan's mobile game downloads fell 5.4% year over year, ranking ninth by downloads.§1
• eFootball rose to first place in Japan's mobile game revenue ranking between January and July 2026, followed by Monster Strike and Last War: Survival.§1
• Among mobile subgenres, 4X strategy grew 9.4% and recorded the highest in-app revenue, while real sports grew 8%.§2
• In Japan's PC and console market, the action genre grew 22.4% year over year, more than double the global action genre growth rate.§2

Key insights

1. Puzzle sorting showed the highest growth among puzzle subgenres at 45.8%.§2
2. Racing was the fastest-growing PC and console genre in Japan at 60.1%.§2
3. Globally, the action genre grew 9.7% year over year in the first half of 2026.§2
4. Japan's mobile market growth depends on sustained engagement and high spending from existing players rather than new downloads.§1