Xbox 360 Elite is Xmas most wanted games console whilst Nintendo Wii's popularity drops

New research from the online shopping community Ciao shows that the Xbox 360 Elite is top of the gaming pile this year, the most wanted console ahead of its rivals the PS3 and Wii.

Ciao recorded the searches of 730,000 UK users to determine the most sought after console, with searches for Xbox 360 Elite consoles appearing most frequently. This is followed by the classic Xbox 360 console and then the PS3.

Despite celebrity endorsements and a big budget advertising campaign, the Wii is struggling to generate as much interest, slumping in at 4th on the list.

The percentage breakdown of Ciao’s findings is as follows:

1. Xbox 360 Elite (29%)
2. Xbox 360 (12.7%)
3. Sony PS3 Slim (12.2%)
4. Nintendo Wii (11.2%)
5. Sony PlayStation 3 (6.3%)
6. Nintendo DSi (5.2%)
7. Sony PSP (4.3%)
8. Sony PlayStation 2 – Slimline (2.7%)
9. Sony PSP Go (2.3%)
10. Sony PSP Slim & Lite (2.1%)

Ciao’s general manager Stephan Musikant said: “Passionate gamers are looking past the big-budget console marketing campaigns and turning to the products they know will deliver the best quality experience. Clearly, gaming is still big business, and particularly in the run up to Christmas people are searching hard for the best entertainment experience.”

However, it’s worth noting that Ciao are a Microsoft partner, so perhaps take the details of these “storming” Xbox 360 sales with a pinch of salt.