Pachter: 360 outsold PS3 over 2-1 in the US last month

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter has issued hardware sales estimates for America in December, claiming 360 outsold PS3 by more than two-to-one.

Pachter predicted that Wii sold 2.6 million units in in the US in December, down 32 percent year-over-year; that 360 moved 2.5 million machines, up 91 percent year-on-year; and that PS3 sold 1.2 million consoles, down 12 percent compared to the previous year.

NPD will release American sales data this Thursday.

NPD decided to start withholding hardware sales numbers for the American market last year, leaving it up to platform holders to decide whether or not to make monthly figures public.

December 2010's US sales will be watched carefully thanks to the release of both Kinect and Move late last year.

Microsoft said at CES last week that it had shipped 8 million Kinect units in the camera's first 60 days at retail, further claiming it's going to be difficult for the firm to keep up with demand in the next two months.