Worldwide PS3 numbers pass 360 – report
360 "continues to disappoint" outside US.
The global PlayStation 3 install base now exceeds that of the Xbox 360, according to a new independent report.
Strategy Analytics data, as reported by Gamasutra, claimed that, as of December 2010, Microsoft has lost ground on Sony's machine despite the strong Kinect launch.
The active worldwide install base of the PlayStation 3 allegedly now sits at 43.4 million, compared to the Xbox 360's 42.9 million. The Wii leads both at 75.5 million.
Yesterday, a separate report put the PlayStation 3 ahead of the Xbox 360 in Europe, while annual NPD data released earlier this year showed that Microsoft's console was on top in the US. Over in Japan, the PlayStation 3 has a huge lead over the Xbox 360.
"While the Kinect peripheral has given a boost to Microsoft's Xbox 360 strategy, the console's performance outside of the US continues to disappoint," said analyst Jia Wu, author of the report.
"Global demand for Sony's PS3 has exceeded that of the Xbox 360 in each of the past two years, and we expect that to continue over the coming years," he added, before suggesting Microsoft "continue[s] to innovate around its motion sensor technology, which will become increasingly relevant in the smart home era."
The report went on to predict that the Xbox 360 will add 13.7 million to its total by the end of this year, while PlayStation 3 will expand by 15.7 million units. Sales of the Wii, on the other hand, will fall by 10 million.