Fiscal Q1 sales figures hit the net recently, and the results show PlayStation 3 may be closing the gap.  Microsoft sold 1.2 million Xbox 360 while Sony’s PS3 sold 1.1 million consoles in the same time period.  On face value this appears that Microsoft is still besting Sony for yet another fiscal quarter, but this may be short sighted, considering Sony’s momentum.

The Xbox 360 offers three different versions of their console.  The arcade which retails for $199, the Pro which retails for $299, and the Elite which retails for $399. On the flip side Sony offers two versions of it’s shiny black console.  The 80GB version which retails for $399, and the 160GB version which retails for $499. Generally speaking, it is a foregone conclusion that in this struggling economy, the more expensive console is the harder sell.

It is unlikely that every Xbox 360 sold was the Elite version and simple math will reveal that Sony’s higher priced offerings commanded more revenues.  How is it that with a price as low as $199 the Xbox 360 only managed to outsell the $399 PS3 by a mere 100,000 consoles?  This goes to show that the battle for the hearts of core game players is still very much anyone’s ball game.

It’s only a matter of time before Sony lowers the cost of its technical masterpiece, which will spur even higher sales.  PlayStation 3 overall sales lag Xbox 360 by just under 8 million units, even with Microsoft’s year long head start. It may be that $299 is the magical price point to really keep the momentum going and the install base expanding.

The real winner here is Sony, who has driven more revenue, while selling 100,000 less consoles than its closest competitor.  Profit on the other hand, is a different story, since Sony is allegedly still losing money on every console sold.  Sony has already lowered some of the manufacturing costs with more changes in the pipeline.  Once they lower the price, there is no stopping the PlayStation 3.

http://playstationlifestyle.net/2009/07/31/ps3-sells-100k-less-consoles-comes-out-the-winner-in-fiscal-q1-2009/

And actually if Sony is selling every PS3 at $250  (like that new rumor is saying) then there really in a good position right now.

Eh... This is the kind of argument which would better use sales to consumers, not shipments.

It's very possible that inventory fluctuations are to blame for these differences. You can't take a single quarter shipment data and assume sales to consumers were the same.

@ NJ5, they are precise figures, whereas sales to consumers are just estimates. Of course it is PlayStation lifestyle so they might be biased towards one side.... but it is true that the PS3 isn't doing too badly considering the price

Anyway, the real reason that PS3 comes out the winner is because we are only ones who get to play Uncharted 2! Well that is the main thing for me

I don't think they're the winner by drawing in more revenue. What if the PS3 was still $600 but cost $864 to produce, and they moved 1.1M consoles? Sure, they'd have the most revenue, purely from the the standpoint that they sold 1.1M consoles at $600, but they'd be in the red, big time

Well I agree the PS3 isn't doing too bad (when compared to the 360), I just question the assumption that the PS3 meaningfully outsold the 360 in the quarter.

better recognize !

But what if the rumor is true that the PS3 is being sold at $250 like I said?

im glad i bought a PS3, but i don't understand why sony is the winner here.

in making more quality games? yes , in anything else? i dont know.

Reassuring article is reassuring.

if cash is really king then why nintendo isn't doing any good in the games?

with the money they get they should have got more lineup than ps3 and Xbox 360 combined.