Data from analyst firm Inform, shows PS2 sales reached 6255 for the week March 18-24, while Xbox sales were just 3065.

Retailers had sold 9124 Xbox units in the first four days after the March 14 launch…

Xbox director, Mr Bowman, said direct comparisons between the Xbox and the PS2 were unfair because the PS2 was cheaper – $528 compared with $649 for the Xbox – and had moved beyond the early-adopter phase.

The entry of Microsoft to the games market had helped drive demand and Sony had benefited from that.

“When GameCube comes along (in May), we’ll get a kick from that and Sony will get a kick from that too,” Mr Bowman said. “It’s all goodness when there’s competition and it’s the consumer that benefits.”

Although Sony sold 50,000 PS2 consoles in the first full month after launch, that was partly because of the Christmas gift-buying season.

PS2 was selling 4500-5500 per month in January and February 2001, so weekly sales of 3065 for Xbox were respectable.

Inform research manager Phil Burnham said PS2 sales reached almost 9000 in the week ending March 10, well up on average sales of 2800 in January and February. This month PS2 sales were higher than usual because of a special entertainment pack launched in early March. “I expect it will drop off once the entertainment pack ends,” he said.

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