Unit sales of Sony’s PlayStation 3 have topped the 5 million mark in Japan, according to data released by Famitsu parent Enterbrain. Total system sales hit 5,001,598 last Sunday.

This milestone comes nearly three and a half years later, as the PS3 make its debut in the region on November 11, 2006. Despite launching later, the PS3 maintains a slight yet steady lead over its nearest competitor, the Xbox 360. Wordwide sales paint a different picture, however, with the 360 firmly entrenched in second place.

Follow this author on Twitter.