Skip to main content

PlayStation 3 pulls ahead of Xbox 360 with 77 million consoles sold

Image used with permission by copyright holder

In North America, the battle’s over: As this console generation winds down, the Xbox 360 has come out as the winner. It has been the best-selling console month in and month out almost without a break since Microsoft released the redesigned model in June 2010. Things are different on a global scale, though. Back in November the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 were neck and neck in worldwide sales, hovering around 70 million each according to corporate tallies. Still distant from the Nintendo Wii’s roughly 100 million global total, but impressive nonetheless. According to research firm IDC, though, the PlayStation 3 has pulled ahead of the Xbox 360 as the two head into what is likely their final year.

Recommended Videos

IDC published its latest broad report on the video game console industry, “Worldwide Video Game and Entertainment Console Hardware and Packaged Software 2012 – 2016 Forecast,” at the end of December. According to IDC’s tallies, Sony inched past Microsoft during the holiday season, with approximately 77 million PlayStation 3s sold compared to 76 million Xbox 360s.

While the diehard fans of both consoles will likely see IDC’s report as new ammunition for fruitless and obnoxious forum comment wars, the numbers don’t tell the full story of who has “won” this console cycle. It’s not so simple. For example, Sony didn’t start selling PlayStation 3 consoles at a profit until 2010, around four years after the console first released. Meanwhile the Xbox 360 was sold at a profit starting in January 2008, just over two years after that machine came out. That’s just one factor that determines how successful the two companies’ console businesses have been over the past seven years total.

What matters in terms of the video game industry going forward is this: Both Microsoft and Sony have been successful enough this past console cycle to justify massive investment in putting out new machines. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720, whether they’re called Orbis and Durango or Thebes and Kryptos, will be commercially viable when they come out, and therefore viable venues for game makers to ply their trade.

IDC’s report also bears that out: Game consoles and disc-based video games are going to continue selling despite the increases in digital sales. “It doesn’t appear that alternative platforms—set top boxes from cable companies, Web-connected smart TVs, and so on—are positioned to materially disrupt the trajectory of the ‘big 3’ console OEMs in 2013 or 2014,” said IDC gaming research manager Lewis Ward, “Discs will remain the console game revenue mainstay for years to come.”

Anthony John Agnello
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…
3 new PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (February 21-23)
The four girls stand together in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.

PlayStation Plus isn't as consistent as Game Pass in adding day one titles to the service, but when we do get them, they tend to be excellent. The last State of Play revealed some exciting upcoming PS5 games coming to Plus on day one in the future, alongside games like Saros which are much further out, but one of the month's most interesting games is already on the service. The rest of the lineup is nothing to sneeze at, either. From AAA games to the return of old favorites, we've got the perfect selection of games for you to dive into this weekend.
Lost Records: Bloom and Rage Tape 1
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage - First Look Gameplay Trailer | PS5 Games

The next game from developer Don't Nod, the original creators of Life is Strange, is taking us back to the '90s. Split into two parts (the second scheduled to release on April 15), Lost Records: Bloom and Rage is another adventure game focused on a group of four girls split between the summer of 1995 and 27 years later after the friends had a falling out. Whatever secret caused them to break apart has brought them back together. Anyone with nostalgia for the '90s and a love for teen drama and mystery has nothing to lose giving this first chapter a shot. Thankfully the story is only split into two this time so you won't have to wait multiple months between parts to finish the story.

Read more
3 PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (February 14-16)
Players charge at each other in Chivalry 2's Arena mode.

PlayStation surprised us earlier this week and a new State of Play showcase that highlighted a ton of upcoming PS5 games to look forward to, such as Metal Gear Solid: Delta and Onimusha: Way of the Sword. However, we have a long time to wait for most of those games, and even longer if you want to snag them on PlayStation Plus. This month has no shortage of new games coming out to play, but if you don't have the time or money to get them all, PlayStation Plus has you covered. We picked out some gems from the catalog that might have gone under your radar at the time. Whether you want a deep RPG, fantastic party game, or hardcore multiplayer title, these are the games you should play this weekend.
The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds - Come to Halcyon Trailer | PS4

There's a good chance that Avowed will eventually make its way to PS5, but right now, there's no official word on that. What has been on PlayStation Plus for a while is the last major RPG from Obsidian, The Outer Worlds. Often compared to a Fallout in space, this is a more contained RPG experience where you explore several hub locations rather than a single open world. The entire game is a parody on corporations, capitalism, and class that hits way more than it misses. You are given a ton of different build options, and the companions are some of the best we've had the pleasure to meet. This isn't a huge game, but we do need to give you fair warning that it is leaving the service this month so you will need to commit to it if you want to finish it all. Even if you don't, it is worth a purchase to be ready for The Outer Worlds 2.

Read more
3 new PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (February 7-9)
A player points a gun at a tiny town in High on Life.

It's the shortest month of the year, but PlayStation is still packing it full of new games joining the PlayStation Plus catalog. The first week is always dedicated to the Essential tier, meaning these games are available to anyone with a subscription. Time is at a premium this month with all the massive upcoming PS5 games, like Monster Hunter Wilds and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, but they aren't here just yet. This weekend, we have a series of games that are perfect holdovers to make the wait for your next giant time investment more bearable. We've got a fantastic co-op game, a shorter game you might be able to beat in a day or two, and a surprising remake you might just fall in love with. If you've got nothing else planned, these are the 3 new PlayStation Plus games you should check out this weekend.
High on Life
HIGH ON LIFE Official Game Trailer

Games very rarely attempt to be funny on purpose. Comedy is already incredibly subjective, and because the player has so much control over the pace of a game it makes it almost impossible for every joke to land as it is intended. High on Life comes from Squanch Games and is one of the rare examples of a game that uses the medium of games to its advantage when crafting jokes. It is a brisk first-person shooter set in a sci-fi world where you become an alien bounty hunter welding living weapons called Gatlians that are all voiced by comedians such as J. B. Smove, Tim Robinson, Betsy Sodaro, Jack Black, and many more. If the humor of Rick and Morty doesn't hit for you, it may not do it for you here either, but if it does then you'll have a blast.

Read more