Good news for Sony is that they're selling consoles faster than their rival, having achieved 3.5m from July to September, compared to Xbox 360's 2.8m.
Microsoft has always enjoyed first place when it comes to install base numbers thanks to delays for Sony's PS3 launch. However the 'underdog' hardware is increasing the rate at which it closes that gap, helped by price drops and updated features.
Right now the two platform holders are gearing up the motion tracking tech as their latest battleground with PlayStation Move already on sale globally, and Kinect due early next month. Sony has also now started to enjoy profit from PlayStation 3.
From the July to September period this year Sony has posted a profit of $85m for its Networked Product and Services division, which includes PlayStation. That's a vastly improved sum from last year's same period when they reported a $731m loss.
Meanwhile Microsoft peg Halo: Reach as the primary cause for their 3 months of pure US sales bliss, seeing a lucrative surge in Xbox 360 sales.