10) Xbox 360 – 360,000 units sold in 14 days
Editor’s note: All figures quoted in this article are based on retail figures for the US unless specified otherwise. Additionally, because not each time variable matches, we have adjusted each console’s ranking to reflect a sales rate over seven days. In all but a few instances, seven days is the time frame referenced by either the publisher or NPD Group.
The original Xbox sold respectably, but even a brand as big as Microsoft wasn’t able to wrestle momentum away from Sony’s meteorically successful PS2. The Xbox 360 was an entirely different story, with an impact so resound that completely reshifted the balance of power across the games industry, and it very nearly toppled Sony in the process. Indeed, the 360 led the PS3 overall until the very closing stages of the generation, with its blistering initial sales of 326,000 in 14 days. On our seven-day scale, however, it narrowly trails PS3’s opening week with 180,000.
9) PS3 – 197,000 units sold in 7 days
The PS3 would eventually end up as the best-selling console of its generation, but a hugely expensive retail price at launch would hinder its initial success, resulting in 197,000 units sold in its first seven days. Available at a stratospheric $599 back in 2007, Sony were, unbelievably, still losing money on every unit sold thanks to the nature of its design. The PS3’s fortunes would slowly reverse, however, as Sony’s brand power, in combination with a host of superb exclusives was enough to rescue its fate.
