Lifetime PS3 Sales Overtake Xbox 360's in Europe

The ongoing PlayStation Day conference in Europe has brought about a number of announcements, including word from SCEE’s David Reeves that PlayStation 3 has officially sold more than the Xbox 360 has in Europe, depsite the tremendous head start Microsoft had.

“I am delighted to be able announce today that we have sold more PlayStation 3s throughout Europe than Xbox 360 – even though they launched sixteen months before PS3,” he said. More than 5 million consoles have been sold, according to Reeves. He expressed his excitement that the PS3 had accomplished this feat in a similar time frame that the PS2 did, even with the PS3′s much higher price.

“We are particularly proud of this as it has been achieved in a similar time frame as PlayStation 2 which retailed, if you remember, at a significantly lower price,” he said.

While Reeves pointed to the PS3 outselling the 360 since October 2007 (a period which includes the 360′s latest price cut), he made no mention of the Wii, which we all know has been putting both Sony and Microsoft to shame. So it’s not particularly surprising for that to be the case. He did, however, reveal some other numbers regarding Sony’s other platforms. In Europe, the PSP has sold 12 million units, and the PS2, 48 million. He said, “These numbers are a testament to the strength of the PlayStation brand throughout our region, the ever-increasing number of titles being launched, the rich content on offer and its appeal to different demographics and cultures.”

Things are certainly looking up for Sony in Europe, but with Japan a complete failure for Microsoft, don’t expect to see Microsoft sit idly by.

via Eurogamer