PS2 Still Outselling X360 In US.

Like a good soccer match, the monthly sales battles between the X360 and the PS2 have a lot of exciting back-and-forth. So far, however, the PS2 has remained in control of the match, outselling the X360 in six of the seven months since the X360's debut. The situation is a strong reminder that Sony's PS3 gamble, while huge, has a little more cushioning than is commonly recognized.

Since the release of the X360, Microsoft has averaged 246,000 console sales each month in the US, while the PS2 has seen an average of 473,000 units—a number bolstered by an estimated 1.5 million sales in December alone. Leaving out December, Sony's average drops to 302,000 per month, still outpacing the X360 by a healthy margin.

According to sales estimates from the NPD Group (conveniently collected here and there), the X360 won its first sales victory against the PS2 in April, outselling Sony's offering by nearly 90,000 units (295,000 units in all). The end of Microsoft's supply problems may have accounted for the leap in sales, but May estimates showed a return to more settled buying trends: X360 sales decreased by 74,000 units, while the PS2 climbed to more than 231,000 units total, recapturing the lead with roughly 11,000 more consoles sold.

In short, Sony's PS2 sales remain remarkably strong, and with recent price cuts trimming the system down to US$129, sales are expected to stay strong throughout the year. Sony has sold more than 100 million PS2s, and this year they can expect to add another three million from the US market alone.

The PS2 market isn't "winding down" in any meaningful sense.