iPad launch day sales out-paced the debut sales of the PS3. Sony shifted 197,000 PS3 consoles on its first day on sale back in 2006 while Apple says 300,000 iPads flew off the shelves in the US last weekend. Do the iPad launch numbers mean its set to become a bigger gaming platform than the PS3?

Nintendo America’s boss was dismissive of the threat posed by iPad games but should it and Sony be slightly more worried about Apple’s tablet? Both the Sony PS3 and the iPad sold out on their first day but Apple managed to sell almost twice as many devices in the same period.

With a UK iPad launch apparently due on April 24 and the iPad 3G still to emerge, Apple’s sales should surge. To match the first month sales of the Xbox 360, the iPad would need to sell 900,000 in its first month. To outstrip the Wii, the iPad just needs to hit 476,000 sold.

Do you think the iPad will manage to become a truly must have gaming platform? And what games does it need to have to lure you away from your PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii?

Due late-April | £TBC | Apple (via GamePro)

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  • Roger

    I really don’t see the point of these comparisons. The iPad and the PS3 are two different devices, the iPad is a handheld and the PS3 is a console. To suggest that people would substitute one for the other is ludicrous. If anything the comparisons should be made to the PSP and nintendo DS as these are gaming handhelds.

  • Ant

    I find the iPad compelling not because it is halfway between a laptop and a phone but because it is halfway between a handheld and a console. I sold my last console about eight years ago (an N64) to make more time to do other things, and despite being seriously tempted by the iPod Touch and the Wii, I’ve so far resisted. The iPad could be the tipping point for me. Especially since it returns us to the price level of games in the golden age of C64 vs Spectrum, and also doesn’t require controllers and motion sensors and motion sensor pluses, etc. that all add to the cost of gaming.

    • Mic Wright

      That’s a really good point Ant. I’m already being tempted by the iPad because of games like Sam & Max popping up in the iTunes App Store.

      • http://www.electricpig.co.uk Ben Sillis

        I wonder if the rumoured Sonic 4 iPhone version will have a native iPad option? Now that, I’d love.

  • Constable Odo

    The iPad isn’t a gaming console so what’s the point of comparing it to other gaming consoles. I don’t even see the point of comparing the iPad to the PSP or DS. The price gap is huge and the iPad would be more geared toward reading books and watching videos.

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