Nintendo's Wii is outselling its closest competitor in the console wars by nearly 50 per cent, according to January sales data for North America from analyst firm NPD. 

Nintendo sold 436,000 units in the month, while Sony's PlayStation 2 claimed the second position with 299,000 units. Microsoft's Xbox 360 came in third with 294,000 units and the PlayStation 3 sold 244,000 units. 

David Riley, senior marketing manager at NPD, told vnunet.com that all three console makers performed well. 

But Nintendo outsold its competitors because it offered a more innovative product that is easy to use and set up and featured strong game titles at launch.

The Wii also sells at a better price point and did not suffer from limited availability as with the PS3, Riley added.

Nintendo's console retails in the US for $250, compared to $300 and $400 for two versions of the Xbox 360, and $500 and $600 for the two PlayStation 3 models.

Microsoft launched its Xbox 360 in 2005. Both Nintendo and Sony started shipping their latest consoles last November.