Notice: PS3 figures are "Unit Sales of Hardware" data from Sony.

XBox 360 figures are "shipped", it's unknown to me if this includes replacement units and such.

Yeah the true gap is 5 million, but in PS3's favor. :/

This would be nice if it mattered. But it doesn't.

Some conclusions:

- By the end of 2009 the gap was 5.2 million units difference (PS3 sales to retail vs 360 shipped).

- The XBox 360 shipped 600K fewer units in 2009 than in 2008 (10.2 million).

- The PS3 sold 12.4 million units to retail (up ~16% from 10.7 million in 2008).

- The last half year of 2009 PS3 sales jumped to 9.7 million sales, up from 6.9 million the same period the year before (slimline introduction), up about ~41%.

@ kowenicki

Microsoft said those 39 milions are sold aswell so if Xbox´s are Shipped Ps3 is aswell...

I knew that statement would cause you trouble. :P

Also, to those that say that this does not matter (aligned sales), it's like saying that for the PS3 not to be a failure vs the PS2 or the XBOX360, it should have magically sold 6 million day one to overtake the XBOX360 from the start. 

Not that you're any better, but we knew that...

@ kowenicki

According to my sources that's not what sales mean. The sale is final onces the buyer received the goods. Shipped means something like transported from the factory.

Kowenicki is right, Sony do report "ordered by retailers" as Sold, while Microsoft report Shipped.  Technically they're nearly the same thing except Sony will record the sale before the PS3 is even built