Capcom Says High Price of PS5 Gaming Is Affecting Monster Hunter Wilds Sales

The steep cost of PlayStation 5 gaming is impacting sales for Monster Hunter Wilds, according to Capcom.

Monster Hunter Wilds enjoyed an exceptional launch in February, selling a record-breaking 10.1 million copies overall, with 8 million sold within just three days of release. This surge propelled it to become the top-selling game in the U.S. for year-to-date figures as reported by Circana.

However, during the quarter ending June 30, Monster Hunter Wilds moved only 477,000 units, barely surpassing the 389,000 copies sold by its predecessor, Monster Hunter Rise, which is now four years old. Consequently, Wilds ranked as Capcom's ninth best-selling title for the quarter, while Rise took the tenth spot.

In their consolidated financial report, Capcom noted: "Regarding catalog titles, although sales were soft for Monster Hunter Wilds, the latest series entry released in February this year, Monster Hunter Rise, a previous title from the same franchise, continued to experience growth."

As reported by Automaton, Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto told Nikkei Gaming that the barrier to playing Monster Hunter Wilds on PS5 is “rather steep.” Indeed, Capcom originally anticipated the PS5 would serve as the primary sales platform at launch.

Here’s what Automaton shared:

In an interview with Nikkei Gaming, Tsujimoto revealed that Capcom considered the PlayStation 5 to be Monster Hunter Wilds’ main platform when forecasting initial sales figures. However, factoring in the console itself, necessary accessories, and monthly subscriptions such as PlayStation Plus, the total cost for a PS5 setup reaches approximately 100,000 JPY (roughly $677 USD). When you add Monster Hunter Wilds’ $70 price tag, some consumers opt to purchase older, more polished entries like Monster Hunter World (available for as low as $9.89) and Monster Hunter Rise ($9.99) rather than buying a new console for a title that currently offers less content. Recognizing that many gamers are young with limited income, Tsujimoto acknowledges the entry cost for PS5 is quite high.

The expense of gaming on PlayStation was further increased last month when Sony announced $50 price hikes across the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, and PlayStation 5 Pro models. The base disc-drive PS5 rose by $50 to $549.99, while the digital-only version increased by $50 to $499.99. Additionally, the PS5 Pro saw a $50 increase, bringing its price to $749.99. These adjustments took effect in the U.S. on August 21.

"Like many global companies, we are navigating a challenging economic landscape," said Isabelle Tomatis, Sony Interactive Entertainment's Vice President of Global Marketing, in a statement. "Consequently, we have made the difficult choice to raise the recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S., effective August 21."

Tsujimoto’s remarks did not reference Xbox console pricing.

So, what is the solution? It appears discounts and additional content via patches will be key. A potential release on the record-breaking Nintendo Switch 2 might also provide a boost.

Of course, dedicated Monster Hunter Wilds players may have their own explanations for why sales haven't matched previous titles in the franchise. After a strong initial critical reception, the game’s endgame content was viewed as significantly lacking compared to earlier entries. It is also grappling with severe performance issues on PC that have yet to be completely fixed. Despite the addition of new content and seasons, fans remain dissatisfied, with some going so far as to harass and threaten individual Capcom developers.

On Steam, Monster Hunter Wilds holds a ‘mixed’ user review rating for all-time reviews but has dropped to a ‘mostly negative’ rating for recent feedback.