Japan
- PSP's best year is rapidly drawing to a close, and with it, hopes of
beating the DS in yearly sales for the first time in its life. What
appeared to be a PSP resurgence on the back of Monster Hunter has quickly become a last-minute scramble to hold onto its 2008 title of best-selling handheld.
The PSP lead by more than five hundred thousand units in 2008 for four whole months (06/16-09-/01) and by as much as 561.9 thousand units as late as five weeks ago. Since then, the DS has been on an absolute tear and has shrunk the 2008 PSP lead down to two hundred thousand units (198.6k). The DS has been outsold the PSP by three hundred and sixty thousand units since then and could realistically lose the battle for 2008 if trends continue.
In the end, even if the DS does end up outselling the PSP for the fourth year in a row (fifth if you count the launch period), the PSP has made unprecedented gains against the Nintendo juggernaut this year. Sony execs, clearly embattled with the struggling PS3, can definitely hang their hat on that.
A nice feather named "best-selling hardware in 2008" to put in that hat wouldn't hurt, though.
(click to enlarge)
