Console installed base almost doubles in UK
3.6 million Wii consoles in UK homes, as PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sell one million units each in past 12 months
New figures from data specialist GfK Chart Track have revealed the current installed base for console hardware in the UK.
As of September 2008, the PlayStation 3 has reached 1.4 million units, the Xbox 360 2.3 million and the Wii 3.6 million units.
The numbers show considerable growth from 2007 – both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 have shifted a million units since the same period last year when their installed base was 0.4 million and 1.3 million, respectively.
However, it's Nintendo's Wii that has boomed in the region, from 1.1 million units in September 2007 to the current 3.6 million units.
In the battle of the handhelds, the DS has also shot up in the UK from 3.8 million to 7.1 million units in the space of a year, while the PSP has registered a more modest growth in comparison, from 2.2 million to 2.9 million units.
The installed base for all five consoles has almost doubled in the UK from 8.8 million to 17.3 million in twelve months
The data comes from High Street retailer The Game Group, which estimates that by Christmas the installed base for the Wii will reach 4.9 million units, the Xbox 360 2.8 million and the PS3 1.9 million units.
DS units are expected to climb a further 1.2 million to 8.3 million and the PSP to 3.1 million.