Sony was quick to point out that the PS3 again eclipsed sales of the Xbox 360 for the month of May in the US. According to Sony sales of the PS3 grew 155% year-over-year, recording sales of 208 709 units which was 22 106 units more than the Xbox 360 sold.

Sony reported that 1.26 million software units were sold for the PS3 in May, noting the sales for GTA IV and PS3 exclusives SingStar and Haze. This figure shows a 234% increase from May 2007.

Sony touted GTA IV sales figures for May (442 910 copies) as well as the life-to-date sales of 1.4 million copies of the PS3 version for the US. Over 32% of PS3 owners in the US have bought GTA IV leading to a 6% higher attach rate than the Xbox 360.

Sony expects the momentum of PS3 sales to continue in June due to PS3 exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot and the special edition Metal Gear Solid PS3 bundle. P33 owners downloaded over 20 million pieces of content from the PlayStation Store in May, 11.6 million of that belonging to North American gamers.

The PSP sold 182 310 units for May and Sony expect the God of War: Chains of Olympus PSP bundle launched in June to further boost sales. Despite NPD no longer reporting the sales of the PS2, Sony pointed out that 132 708 units were sold in May, up 6.7% from April, with life-to-date sales of the PSP now reaching 42.2 million.

The PlayStation brand generated $331.6 million in sales in May while the year-to-date figure (January to May) stands at $2.27 billion in revenue. This is incidentally 46% higher than Microsoft and 17% more than last year. Breaking this down, hardware sales for PlayStation reached $133 million in May (98% higher than Microsoft) and software sales $159 million.

Jack Tretton, president and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment America commented “The dual platform release of the much anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV title reaffirmed its legacy on the PlayStation platform with a 6 percent higher attach rate than Xbox 360, reinforcing consumer choice of PS3.”

“Poised for continued momentum, PS3 is delivering on its breadth and depth of exclusive titles to its gaming fans with today’s prized exclusive title launch of Metal Gear Solid 4. The media have hailed 2008 as the year of the PS3, and with solid sales and growth opportunities ahead, we feel consumers are saying the same.”