Portable handhelds lead the charts this week in Japan.  It’s no surprise to see the Nintendo DSi at the top.  But to see the PS3 lead the console war again is a good sign for PS3 owners.  The XBox 360 may have seen the end on an era.  Sit Ubu Sit, Good Dog!

• DSi – 53,680
• PSP – 48,118
• PS3 – 20,362
• Wii – 15,525
• DS Lite – 8,729
• Xbox 360 – 7,812
• PS2 – 5,394

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This week’s Japanese hardware chart has the DSi on top where it belongs. The PS3 is still selling strong at 25k. And the Xbox 360 was almost surpassed by the 10 year old PS2, ouch.  Why would anyone still buy a Wii.  We get it, it’s a fashion statement.  Old people homes aren’t still playing them are they?

• DSi – 71,233
• PSP – 65,765
• PS3 – 25,435
• Wii – 18,095
• DS Lite – 8,948
• Xbox 360 – 5,441
• PS2 – 5,067

[NUMBERS UPDATED] In a stunning turn of events, these preliminary Japan Hardware Sales numbers see Sony’s PSP and PS3 top the handheld and console market respectively. The PS3 finally topped the Nintendo Wii for the top spot in hardware sales in Japan.  The release of Yakuza 3 boosted the sales of Sony’s PS3.  Many see the Japanese market as the key trend to US sales, so can this jump in hardware sales mean something?  It’s not looking good for Xbox 360 fans in Japan, as next weeks release of Resident Evil 5 may boost sales a bit higher for the PS3 even though the game will be released on both the 360 and PS3.

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