For the first time since its launch in late 2006, the troubled PlayStation 3 moved more consoles in a month than did the Xbox 360, although the red-hot Wii is still the top dog, according to the latest numbers. Microsoft says it has an explanation, though.

The NPD Group (by way of Kotaku) reports that about 274,000 Wii consoles were sold in January—well shy of the 1.35 million Wiis sold in December, although we can chalk that up to the post-holiday doldrums.

More surprising, however, is the runner-up in January console sales: the once struggling but now surging PS3, which sold about 269,000 units in January (only about 5,000 consoles shy of the Wii). Meanwhile, trailing in the back of the pack is the Xbox 360, which beat the PS3 handily in December but only moved 230,000 consoles last month (fewer than the PS3, the Nintendo DS or the PSP).

So, what happened? Is the Xbox 360 in a slump? Far from it, say Microsoft spin doctors, who argue that there's just a shortage of inventory due to high demand during the holidays. That may be true—the 360 sold an impressive 1.3 million units in December—but there's also no question that the PS3 is on a little run, with some observers predicting that Sony's next-gen console may actually outsell both the Wii and the Xbox 360 by 2011.

I have to admit, with my own 360 console out for repairs, I've been giving the PS3 a serious look—what with its apparently future-proof Blu-ray player, improving game line-up, rock-solid performance, and (at last) a reasonable $400 price tag for the 40GB version. And if Netflix does, indeed, bring movie streaming to gaming consoles like the PS3, my Xbox 360 might end up with some competition in the living room.

Related:
PlayStation 3 Outsells Xbox 360, DS In January [Kotaku]