Sony's Playstation 3 game console will double its installed base this year according to new research, growing faster than any of its rivals and making up for ground lost on its botched debut in 2006.

Worldwide sales of the PS3 are expected to be 10 million units this year, compared with 12.2 million units for Nintendo's Wii and 7.5 million units for Microsoft Corp's Xbox 360, researcher iSuppli said on Thursday.

Sony will continue to grow until it eventually overtakes all of its competitors, the firms said.

The PlayStation 3 in 2011 will account for 35.4 percent of the installed base, while the Wii will take 34.8 percent and the Xbox 360 will be at 29.8 percent

The PS3, which has lagged the other consoles due to its high price and dearth of blockbuster games for most of last year, would double its base to 20.3 million this year.

As widely expected given its strong sales, lower price and games that appeal to a broader audience, the Wii is in line to become the industry leader with a total global installed base of 30.2 million units for 2008.

The Xbox 360, which has struggled in Japan and faces a tough battle in Europe where the Sony brand has dominated, would see its user base grow to 25.7 million units by the end of 2008.

Sony