Already leading Microsoft in the sales battle around the world, Sony has now added a very solid PlayStation 4 launch weekend in its home country Japan to its figures. While it hasn't set any records, the PS4 ranked on the higher end of Japanese launch weekend sales compared to consoles in the past, moving a very solid 322,083 units.
While Sony couldn't quite beat its biggest success, the PS2 (which sold almost double that in its opening weekend in Japan with 630K units), it did blow its last console out of the water. The PS3 only moved 88K units in its first weekend, so Sony will no doubt take this increase as an encouraging sign.
Getting into the Japanese market will undoubtedly be another boost to Sony's race for market share. They have always been successful there, with plenty of games aimed at those gamers' interests. The PS2, obviously, was a runaway success in the country, selling 22 million units through its lifetime, while the PS3 was still relatively successful at around half that number.
The real significance of the market, though, is that it's one in which Microsoft and the Xbox just cannot gain a foothold. Both the original Xbox and the Xbox 360 sold fewer than 2 million units in Japan, which pales in comparison to Sony's success there. Adding this market (which is stilted heavily in its favor) to a race it's already ahead in will make Sony very happy.
Even without considering what the Xbox One is doing, the takeaway is positive for the PS4. It just edged the Wii U's opening weekend in Japan (308K) and significantly outperformed its predecessor.
Sony will look to maintain its sales lead and entice new customers with better software as big exclusives begin to fall, such as Infamous: Second Son next month. The console has sold more than 5.3 million units as of February 8.