Sony's PS3 games console passed Microsoft's Xbox 360 to become the number two TV console worldwide by the end of 2010, according to the latest research published by Strategy Analytics.
According to the report, the active installed base of PS3s reached 43.4 million by the end of 2010, compared to 42.9 million Xbox 360s. Nintendo's Wii remained the number one global TV console with 75.5 million active devices.
"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," says report author, Jia Wu, Senior Analyst in Strategy Analytics? Digital Consumer Practice. "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."
The report predicts that global sales of the Xbox 360 will further increase to 13.7 million in 2011. Global sales of the PS3 will also expand to reach 15.7 million units. The Wii's decline will continue, with sales falling to just over 10 million units, taking the console from first to third place in sales rankings. The report predicts that Nintendo will launch a Wii successor within the next 12 months.
"Microsoft's second generation console has dramatically improved the company's position in the digital home," notes David Mercer, Principal Analyst at Strategy Analytics. "But its relative weakness in Europe and Asia acts as a drag on its global performance. Microsoft should continue to innovate around its motion sensor technology, which will become increasingly relevant in the smart home era."