Based on current sales trends, the Xbox 360 will beat the PS3 and Wii in the U.S.

Jan 18, 2013 20:51 GMT  ·  By

The Xbox 360 will overtake the Nintendo Wii and the PlayStation 3 and become the bestselling console of this generation by 2017, at least according to a new report from DFC Intelligence that bases its assessment on current sales trends.

The current console generation has been a tough one to evaluate, as while Microsoft took the first step, by releasing the Xbox 360, it was quickly followed by Nintendo with the Wii and Sony with the PlayStation 3.

Without a doubt Nintendo had the most success, as the lower priced and more innovative Wii attracted millions of customer, but in the last few years Microsoft's Xbox 360 has gained the upper hand, especially in the U.S.

Now, a report from DFC Intelligence shows that, based on current sales, the Xbox 360 will overtake the Wii and PS3 in terms of sales in the U.S.

"Amazingly Microsoft didn't have to do much exaggerating as in its seventh full year on the market the Xbox 360 had a stellar performance. For its generation, the Xbox 360, not the Wii, will end up as the number one selling console system in the US," DFC said in its report, via GamesIndustry.

According to the company, over 46 million Xbox 360 units will be sold in the U.S. by 2017, followed by 42 million Wii consoles and 33.5 million PS3 devices.

DFC also emphasizes just how sharp the Wii's decline has been in recent years.

"Unlike Microsoft, Nintendo has been in a major downward cycle, much of it self-inflicted. Nintendo's spin for the Wii U focused on how it made more revenue than the Wii at launch. Of course, the Wii was supply constrained at launch and sold at a lower price so that is not surprising," the company said.

"The reality is that many Wii U systems were sitting unsold on shelves at year end. Consumers love games more than ever but a new order of game providers is resulting in market shifts that are proving painful for Nintendo and other established game companies."

Bear in mind that this report focuses only on the U.S. market, so the global sales might be a bit different and much more in favor of the Wii and PS3.