The Xbox 360 has an undeniable strength in North America, but Microsoft’s hold on hardcore gamers isn’t quite as strong in other parts of the world. The Xbox 360 might as well not exist in Japan, but the console is doing okay in Europe.

Sony Computer Entertainment European chief David Reeves proudly announced to the media at the PlayStation Day conference that sales of PS3 have surpassed the Xbox 360 in Europe.

“I am delighted to be able announce today that we have sold more PlayStation 3s throughout Europe than Xbox 360 - even though they launched sixteen months before PS3,” Reeves said, adding that there are now more than 5 million PS3, 12 million PSP and 48 million PS2 in the territory.

“These numbers are a testament to the strength of the PlayStation brand throughout our region, the ever-increasing number of titles being launched, the rich content on offer and its appeal to different demographics and cultures,” he commented.

Meanwhile, Microsoft’s Xbox director of product management Aaron Greenberg had some interesting sales figures of his own, some of which run contrary to the ones Reeves mentioned.

“Today Xbox 360 has a 5-million-unit console sales lead on a global basis based on most recently public reported data from both companies,” said Greenberg, referring to Microsoft’s lead over Sony. “This includes more than double the installed base in the US according to actual NPD sell-through and over a 1-million-unit lead across Europe also based on reported sell-through from Chart Track and GfK.”

As for who is correct in their numbers, the unofficial numbers for VGChartz pegs the Xbox 360 with 6.4 million sales outside of Japan and North America, while the PS3 is at 5.4 million. Those numbers likely include Australia in the mix, a country with a strong Xbox 360 base, making the exact sales delta in Europe a little less clear.