Only Sony could find that its wonderful PS3 console can be beaten by the model it was designed to replace.

According to official April figures released by the NPD Group, the PS3 found itself beaten out for fifth place by the PS2. For some reason there was a 50 per cent leap in PS2 sales in April, possibly due to the system's April 1 price cut. The PS2 has been around for nine years and has long ago made back its development costs.

The winner was the Nintendo DS, while the Wii came second. The Xbox 360 was down slightly over last April, but still managed a solid fourth place and remains on course for a record-breaking year.

People had been expecting better from the PS3. People in the know and the strokers of beards had been thinking that the console was starting to make gains on its rivals. However the PS3 placing sixth was its worst performance in over 18 months. It is not really surprising. It is  between $150 and $200 more expensive than its competitors, the Wii and Xbox 360 and there is a global recession on.