Smart TV Remote Control apps in Japan show opportunity for better tools
Japan — Utilities, for consumers. Niche: Smart TV Remote Control.
Data from the week of 19 Oct 2026, refreshed every two weeks.
Our call
We have not checked this against App Store search in Japan yet, so we won’t call it. Checks run every day, highest-scoring openings first.
At a glance
- Demand
- High, in your favour
- 885,855 ratings
- Revenue
- Medium, neither for nor against you
- 2 top-grossing
- Competition
- Medium, neither for nor against you
- 3 established in Japan
- Leading apps
- Weak, in your favour
- 3.8★ average
How the score of 62 is made
score out of 100
- Demand84
884,701 ratings in the US and UK, 1,154 in Japan
- Revenue52
2 of the top 4 on a top-grossing chart in the last 30 days; 1 paid
- Room locally64
3 established apps in Japan (5+ ratings, scaled to the market’s size)
- Language gap11
Not checked in local search yet — counted as neutral (50) at most
- Incumbent weakness73
3.8 stars on average; 2 of 4 not updated in a year; includes a review signal (members)
- AI gap30
4 of the top 4 not built around AI
- Momentum—
History building since 19 Oct 2026 — counted as neutral (50) for now
Why this is an opening
In Japan, 67% of low-star reviews signal dissatisfaction with existing options. Half of the top apps, specifically 2 of them, are stale, and 4 top apps are non-native.
What people in Japan see
Not yet checked against local App Store search. Checks run every day, highest-scoring openings first.
How strong the competition is
The leading apps in this niche
The niche’s apps available in Japan, ranked by their share of ratings here and in the United States and United Kingdom; stars in Japan where it has them.
| App | Ratings in Japan | Ratings US + UK | Stars | Japanese | Last update | AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TV Remote - Universal Control | 900 | 651,971 | 3.9 | Yes | Sept 2026 | No AI |
| Smart Remote for LG Smart TVs | 212 | 1,580 | 3.5 | No | May 2020 | No AI |
| Universal TV Remote · | 42 | 97,645 | 4.3 | Yes | Oct 2026 | No AI |
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Is demand growing
New ratings each week in Japan, added up over the leading apps. A rating count only grows, so a week’s rise is the people who rated that week.
- Last 4 weeks
- 4 weeks before
- Earlier
Members see the weekly trend.
Show as a table
| Week | New ratings |
|---|---|
| Members | — |
What users complain about
- Requires paid subscription41 reviews
Show as a table
| Complaint | Reviews |
|---|---|
| Requires paid subscription | 41 |
See every complaint and the reviews behind them.Get 30 days — €19 →
If you build it
The smallest app that answers what users complain about and what the leaders leave out. Each feature says where it comes from.
- What apps here chargethe leading apps' in-app prices, once we have read themMembers
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What would kill this
Up to three things that would end this opening, each tied to the data.Get 30 days — €19 →
The same niche in other markets
- This market
- Other markets
✓ checked against local App Store search. Other markets are named for members.
Show as a table
| Market | Score | Checked against local search |
|---|---|---|
| Members | 65 | Not yet |
| Japan | 62 | Not yet |
| Members | 59 | Not yet |
| Members | 56 | Yes |
| Members | 55 | Not yet |
| Members | 52 | Not yet |
| Members | 52 | Yes |
| Members | 51 | Yes |
| Members | 51 | Yes |
| Members | 49 | Yes |
| Members | 48 | Yes |
| Members | 47 | Yes |
| Members | 47 | Not yet |
| Members | 47 | Yes |
| Members | 46 | Yes |
| Members | 46 | Yes |
| Members | 46 | Yes |
| Members | 46 | Yes |
| Members | 45 | Yes |
| Members | 45 | Yes |
| Members | 42 | Yes |
| Members | 42 | Yes |
| Members | 41 | Yes |
| Members | 38 | Yes |
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Scored 2026-10-26 with score version 4. How the score works. Store data only: we do not estimate revenue or downloads.