First-week sales numbers for Xbox One in Japan suggest Microsoft will not easily overcome difficulties of selling in the region.

During the system's first four days on sale in Japan, Microsoft managed to sell 23,562 units, according to local publication Famitsu.

By comparison, in 2005 Microsoft shipped an estimated initial batch of 159,000 Xbox 360s across Japan, of which about 62,000 were sold in the first two days alone.

When compared with sales of systems from Sony and Nintendo, the Xbox One's commercial performance in Japan looks considerably worse.

Sony managed to sell around 308,000 PlayStation 4 units during its first week on sale in Japan, while Nintendo's Wii U managed 322,000.

In 2011, the PS Vita sold close to 325,000 units during its first week, and in the same year, Nintendo sold its entire initial allotment of 400,000 Nintendo 3DS units on launch day.