Xbox 360 overtakes PS3 in Japan

Japan and America see PS3 sales struggle

18 August 2008 12:39 GMT / By Stuart Miles

The Xbox 360 has beaten the PS3 in weekly sales in Japan for the first time it's been revealed.

"Microsoft sold 28,116 units of the Xbox 360 in the week ended August 10, compared with 10,705 units of the PS3", states Reuters reporting themselves on a magazine article in Japan.

The sales figures are expected to be attributable to the Japanese launch of Namco Bandai's "Tales of Vesperia" a role-playing game that launched on 7 August.

While a downturn is always expected in the Summer months, especially with the Olympics, Microsoft sales figures still weren't impressive enough to beat Nintendo's Wii console.

Nintendo managed to shift 41,044 units in the same week without the benefit of a big launch title to help it.

The news comes as console sales figures suggest that the PS3 is struggling in the US as well.

NPD, who tracks sales of the console in America, has reported that while the PS3 still beat Microsoft's games console it was down 44.5% on last year's figures.