Old Sony console outsold PS3 in US last month

Sony's PlayStation 3 proved less popular than its predecessor in the US last month. According to market watcher NPD, the PS3 fell way behind the market leaders: Nintendo's DS Lite and Wii.

NPD's numbers for November retail sales put the PS3 down at 466,000 units, around 30,000 fewer than the 496,000 PS2s that crossed counters during the month. These totals put the two consoles on sixth and fifth place, respectively, behind the fourth-placed PSP, purchased by some 567,000 folk during the period.

Microsoft sold 770,000 Xbox 360s, NPD said, well behind the 981,000 Wiis acquired in the US last month. Topping the chart: the DS Lite with sales reaching a staggering 1.53m units.

Still, Sony can take some joy from the fact that the PS3 showed by the biggest year-on-year unit-sales growth: up 285 per cent on November 2006's 121,000 units. The DS Lite's growth was almost as great: up 234 per cent following year-ago sales of 458,000 units.

In Japan, Sony's home territory, the PS3 hasn't proved a strong seller either. Sales have dropped and flattened through the past three weeks while demand for the DS Lite, the Wii and the PSP have jumped sharply, according to figures from local market watcher Media Create.