UK sales of the PlayStation 3 recently surpassed 3m units, Sony has claimed.

Some 2.2m PS3s had already been sold across the land by July 2009, according to Sony. So the company sold 800,000-odd units between the summer and the tail end of last week, when the new sales total was published.

The console still has some way to go before it overtakes the Xbox 360’s UK sales – 3.9m as of June last year – and even further before it can match up to the approximately 6m Wiis sold in Blighty by the end of 2009.

The Xbox 360 launched a year ahead of the PS3, while the Wii arrived here three months earlier than the Sony machine.

Microsoft wouldn't a upply a more up-to-date figure when we asked for one, but there's no reason to suppose sales to the end of the 2009 would be significantly lower than Sony's. Even if they were, the console still has a lead of over a million units.

Sony said reducing the console's price had helped it to reach a new audience of gamers, adding that new titles like Heavy Rain and God of War III will help further the PS3's appeal.

Last year’s launch of the 250GB slimline PS3 no doubt also helped to spur console sales. ®