Report: PS3 Surpasses Xbox 360’s Worldwide Shipped Total

The Xbox 360 has been ahead of PlayStation 3 in the global sales race since the first day the PS3 was released in 2006. But according to a new forecast report summarized by Games Industry International, the PlayStation 3 has officially taken the lead in units shipped.

Games Industry International cites a “market analysis” document by Lewis Ward of IDC (the International Data Corporation) called Worldwide Video Game Entertainment Console Hardware and Packaged Software 2012-2016 Forecast. The $4,500 report’s abstract notes that the forecast is designed to predict sales figures for a variety of hardware and software over the next four years.

Tucked within, according to Games Industry International, are console numbers for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as of December, 2012. “Sony’s PS3 managed to surpass the number of Xbox 360s shipped worldwide (about 77 million vs. 76 million), despite the PS3 launching a year later.” It’s important to note that these figures are shipped and not sold to consumers (though it‘s unlikely production is far in excess of perceived demand for either console). It’s also important to note that it’s unclear if these numbers were garnered straight from sources at Sony and Microsoft, or are part of IDC’s overall forecast.

The forecast also reportedly states that IDC predicts “Nintendo will still ‘find an audience’ with Wii U, reaching global shipments of 50 million by year-end 2016.” Wii U sales aren’t keeping pace with that of the original Wii, though it may have already sold as many as 3 million units since November.

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 launched in North America in November of 2005, and a month later in Europe and Japan. Sony’s PlayStation 3 launched in November of 2006 in North America and Japan, and the next spring in Europe.