Xbox 360 and PS3 buck 09 dip

In a year that saw most sectors of the UK video games market suffer year-on-year declines, both the Xbox 360 and PS3 have emerged as the real winners of the last 12 months as both consoles managed both software unit sales and revenue gains.

Numbers from ELSPA show that the Xbox 360 sold 16.2m games in the UK in 2009, a year-on-year increase of nine per cent. Xbox 360 software revenue for the period hit 459m, four per cent up on 2008.

It was good news for the PS3, too, with its 10.4m unit sales representing a 14 per cent annual increase. Revenue was up two per cent year-on-year at 342m.

All other consoles suffered year-on-year falls. However, though let’s not forget that 2009 was still the second best ever year for video games in the UK.

Here’s a closer look at the unit sales and revenue sales in 2009 per format in the UK:

UNIT SALES (year-on-year change in brackets)

Wii – 18.1m (10%)
Xbox 360 – 16.2m (+9%)
DS – 14.6m (-24%)
PS3 – 11.9m (+14%)
PC – 6.2m (-27%)
PSP – 2.8m (-32%)
PS2 – 1.9m (-67%)

Home Console hardware – 4.0m (-25%)
Portable console hardware – 2.7m (-27%)
Console accessories – 29.6m (-5%)
PC accessories – 6.2m (-30%)

Market total – 114.2m (-14%)

REVENUE (year-on-year change in brackets)

Xbox 360 – 459m (+4%)
DS – 266m (-27%)
Wii – 392m (-18%)
PS2 – 25m (-72%)
PS3 – 342m (+2%)
PSP – 44m (-37%)
PC – 91m (-22%)

Home Console hardware – 746m (-28%)
Portable console hardware – 314m (-14%)
Console accessories – 523m (-5%)
PC accessories – 107m (-32%)

Market total – 3.311bn (-18%)