CDJapan vs Play-Asia: Which Is Better for Buying Import Games?

Both CDJapan and Play-Asia have been serving import buyers for over two decades, and both are legitimate retailers. But they're built differently, serve different shopping patterns, and have distinct strengths. Knowing which to use for which purchase can save you real money and frustration.

The Short Answer

Play-Asia is better for: broad game selection, pre-owned games, gaming accessories, current-gen titles, and one-stop shopping across all Asian regions.

CDJapan is better for: Japanese music CDs, anime merchandise, new physical game editions bundled with soundtracks, pre-ordering niche titles, and purchases where domestic Japanese pricing is important.

For most import game buyers, Play-Asia will be the primary store. CDJapan fills specific gaps.

Company Overview

Play-Asia

Founded in 2002, headquartered in Hong Kong. Stocks games from Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, and wider Asia. Ships from Hong Kong. Prices in USD. English-language site. Has always focused on games as its core category, expanding into figures and merchandise over time. In-house affiliate programme.

CDJapan

Founded in 1998, headquartered in Tokyo. Originally a music CD importer — "CD Japan" reflects that origin — and expanded into games, anime, figures, and merchandise. Ships from Tokyo. Prices in JPY (with currency conversion at checkout). English-language site. Has deeper roots in the domestic Japanese market.

Game Selection

Play-Asia wins on breadth. They stock games across JPN, AS, HK, KR, US, and EU regions. For a buyer who wants the Asian English edition of a Switch game, Play-Asia is more likely to have it. They also carry a wider range of pre-owned titles and platform accessories.

CDJapan is stronger on JPN-market depth. Because they buy from Japanese distributors directly, their JPN-region coverage for niche titles — particularly visual novels, dating sims, limited-run JRPG editions — is occasionally more complete than Play-Asia's. For a title that only exists in a single Japanese pressing, CDJapan sometimes has stock when Play-Asia doesn't.

For pre-owned games, Play-Asia is significantly ahead. CDJapan's pre-owned game selection is minimal compared to Play-Asia's graded inventory.

Pricing

Prices vary product by product. Neither consistently undercuts the other across the board.

CDJapan's JPY pricing can be advantageous when the yen is weak against your home currency. They price in the domestic Japanese market rate, which means when USD/JPY is at 150+, CDJapan's USD-equivalent prices on JPY-priced items can be lower than Play-Asia's fixed USD prices. This is exchange-rate dependent and works in reverse when the yen strengthens.

Play-Asia's fixed USD pricing is predictable. You know exactly what you're paying without currency fluctuation risk. Their sale pricing is also aggressive — seasonal sales (New Year, Golden Week, Black Friday) regularly push games to 20-40% off.

For limited editions, both retailers price at or near the Japanese MSRP. The difference is usually minor.

Shipping

Play-Asia ships from Hong Kong. For most destinations, this means slightly faster delivery than shipping from Japan, and often lower shipping costs on the cheaper tiers. HK is a major logistics hub with efficient outbound post.

CDJapan ships from Tokyo. Direct Japan origin is occasionally faster to nearby Asian destinations (Taiwan, Korea, Southeast Asia) but adds 1-3 days to most Western destinations compared to HK. Japanese domestic shipping (SAL, EMS from Japan) is reliable and well-tracked.

Both offer Economy (SAL), Standard Airmail, EMS, and DHL/FedEx options at comparable price points.

Shipping cost comparison for a single standard game to the US: - Economy: roughly comparable ($4-7 both) - Standard: roughly comparable ($9-13 both) - Express (EMS/DHL): CDJapan may be slightly cheaper on EMS since they ship direct Japan Post

Checkout Experience

Play-Asia prices entirely in USD. Checkout is straightforward, checkout currency is unambiguous. Payment by credit card, PayPal.

CDJapan prices products in JPY. The checkout converts to your local currency at market rates. This means you don't know the exact USD amount until payment. Some buyers prefer this (you get the real exchange rate), others find it frustrating. Payment by credit card; PayPal available.

Pre-orders

Both handle pre-orders, charging at shipment rather than order placement — good for buyers.

CDJapan's pre-order coverage of niche Japanese releases can be more complete for deep-catalogue visual novels and limited-edition JRPGs from smaller publishers. Play-Asia tends to be more comprehensive on multi-region releases and mainstream titles.

Music and Merchandise

CDJapan is the clear winner. Their music selection — J-pop, anime OSTs, game soundtracks — is vastly deeper than Play-Asia's. If you're buying the Limited Edition of a game because it includes the original soundtrack CD, CDJapan's selection of soundtrack-bundled editions is better.

For figures and anime merchandise, both are reasonable, but CDJapan has a more curated selection of domestic Japanese releases.

Customer Service

Both are ticket-based (email/web form). Play-Asia response times during peak periods can be slow (48-72h). CDJapan has a reputation for responsive, accurate service, though response times are comparable.

CDJapan's English support quality is high for a Japanese company — their team handles international enquiries smoothly.

Which Should You Use?

Practical advice: bookmark both and check both for significant purchases. Price differences of $5-15 on the same item exist, and which retailer wins varies. For day-to-day game browsing, Play-Asia's USD pricing and broader selection make it the default starting point.

Import Game Deals tracks Play-Asia prices automatically. Use the price history and deal score on any product page to find the right time to buy.