PSP outsells DS in Japan

Granted, there's still a fairly big gap in world wide sales figures between DS and PSP – the last time we looked, DS was outselling PSP by roughly three to one.

But there's still plenty of time for all that to change and last week's sales figures from Japan (courtesy of Media Create) indicate that the tide can turn. During that period, Sony's handheld shifted 53,373 units while DS managed slightly fewer at 50,151.

On its own it may not seem hugely significant, but in the context that it's not the first time PSP has outsold DS in its Japanese homeland – last September's launch of the Slim & Lite and the release of Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core saw the console beat Nintendo for two weeks in a row – it could be seen as an early sign that things could be beginning to change.

Or, sure, it could just be a blip.

We have our own theory why it may not be, however, which we'll share with you in a forthcoming feature.

In the meantime, with the release of Patapon, the Go!Messenger service and, soon, God of War: Chains of Olympus, is outselling DS a feat Sony could soon be reproducing in other territories? As ever, we'll be keeping a close eye on the sales figures.