Xbox 360 outsold PS3, Wii during the holidays

Posted January 4, 2007 at 10:14 PM by XXMichael Leano

Section: Gaming, Console

Don’t let the 600,000 Wiis sold in North America shortly after its launch fool you. According to a report by Yahoo, the winner of this past holiday season’s console war is Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

Research firm NPD said two million Xbox 360 units were sold in the United States from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve. Nintendo’s Wii, on the other hand, sold 1.8 million units, while Sony placed dead last as it sold 750,000 PlayStation 3s.

Editor’s Note: NPD Group was incorrectly attributed in the source articles. Click here for the update. - PJ

Hold it. Before Xbox fans start breaking out the champagne, there’s one thing we must consider: remember the supply problems? The insanely long lines? The exorbitantly-priced units sold at eBay?

Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director at Jupiter Research, noticed this too and was quick to point out that the real test will come when everyone is on equal footing with regards to available units. The Wii and the PS3 had limited units available, while the Xbox 360 had a year to work out any hitches in manufacturing, said Gartenberg.

Ergo, it’s a bit early for Microsoft to claim long-term victory. The holiday battle may be over, but the console wars aren’t.

All things considered, Sony remains to be king of the hill, thanks to the way paved by PlayStation and PlayStation 2, but that 60% grip may not last for long.

Read [Yahoo!]