Wii leads January hardware sales in US

The Nintendo Wii sold 436,000 units in January throughout North America, according to preliminary NPD data.

The Xbox 360 sold 294,000 units during the month, with the PlayStation 3 not far behind with 244,000 units sold.

The NPD data was released by Microsoft and has not yet been officially confirmed.

"Xbox 360 had a fantastic January, and we feel great about our position in the marketplace," said Molly O'Donnell, group manager for Microsoft's entertainment and devices division.

The Xbox 360 enjoyed an 18 per cent rise in sales compared to the same period last year, when the company sold 250,000 units.