Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 bested Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3 in U.S. sales for the month of Jan. according to the latest market research data released this week.
NPD Group this week reported that the Xbox 360 sold 294,000 in the first weeks of 2007. By comparison, the PS3 sold 244,000 units in the same period.
Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 stood behind Nintendo Co.'s Wii in Jan. sales, which moved 436,000 units in Jan.
Microsoft dropped the Xbox 360 to retail on Nov. 2005, one year prior to the release of the PS3 and Wii. While it launched to limited availability, strong game titles and a robust online service have helped the machine ship 10.4 million units worldwide to date.
Sony has recoved from initial production problems that have hampered sales at retail. However, much of the buzz from the console has been subdued due to a standard game lineup and negative publicity.
To date, Sony has sold 2 million PS3 units worldwide to retail. It will launch the system in Europe on Mar. 23.
Microsoft expects to ship 12 million Xbox 360 units by fiscal June 2007.