VGCharts is reporting that for the first time in a long while, the PS3 outsold the XBox 360 last week in Microsoft's home territory. For the week ending 7/14/07, the PS3 sold a reported 41,005 units in North America compared to 35,084 units of the XBox 360.
This sudden shift comes on the heels of a PS3 price cut by Sony and some very bad press for the Microsoft system. Given reports of a 33% defect rate, two class-action lawsuits and the departure of Microsoft Gaming head Peter Moore (to EA), Microsoft has had a very tough go of it lately.
The 60GB PS3 is currently sold out at a number of online retailers -- some of whom are offering a few remaining systems as a bundle package only. Sony says that they have stock of 60GB PS3 models to fill demand for the "foreseeable future."
It remains to be seen if this trend will last. It appears to be official that the current 60GB system is out of production in North America, and that the $499 price point on that model will only be effective until inventory is sold out. It remains to be seen what Sony's plan is once those systems are gone. It seems likely that $499 will remain the new price point, with a new 60 or 80GB model lacking the PS2 backwards-compatibility chip taking the place of the current model. Given the huge slate of Q3/Q4 games announced at E3, having a $499 price point could keep the PS3 soaring past the XBox 360 untl the 360 is inevitably replaced by the 720 or 1080 or 120,600 (360^2) model from Microoft in a few years.
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