Sony reports 238K PS3 install base down under

Sony's PlayStation 3 was late to the next-generation console party in Australia, arriving three months after the Wii's local release and a full year after the Xbox 360's launch. However, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCEA) seems to be more than happy with its performance so far, saying that the PS3 has sold 238,000 units down under since its debut in March 2007.

The 238,000 figure comes from SCEA directly and not from official industry trackers GfK Australia (who do not include bundle deals such as Sony's PS3 giveaway with Bravia televisions in late 2007/early 2008 in their figures). The last official count from GfK featured figures for the end of 2007, which had the PS3 at 155,000 units sold, compared to more than 300,000 for the Wii and 306,000 for the Xbox 360. In January this year, SCEA head Michael Ephraim told GameSpot AU that more than 28,000 PS3s had been given away as part of a holiday promotion in which every purchaser of a new Sony Bravia LCD received a free console. The 238,000 figure means that the PS3 has easily eclipsed the first-year sales total for the PlayStation 2, which clocked in 146,000 in sales for its first 12 months. GfK has yet to release figures for Q1 2008 hardware sales in Australia.

SCEA has also flagged a tentative Q3 release date for the upcoming PlayTV add-on for the PS3 in Australia. PlayTV--the PS3's equivalent of a personal video recorder--was first unveiled at last year's Leipzig Games Convention.