Sales of video game consoles and software are up by an impressive 57 per cent in the US, despite the economic troubles faced by the country, according to research firm NPD.

During March American consumers spent $1.7 billion on games with the Wii comfortably outselling Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The Wii sold 720,000 units - more than the combined sales of rival consoles.

The Xbox 360 meanwhile managed to improve on its performance in February by selling 262,000 units, outperforming the PlayStation 3 which sold 257,000 units.

"Across hardware, software, and accessories, the Wii contributed the most to total industry sales, representing 31% of total industry dollars for the month,” said Anita Frazier, MPD industry analyst.

The figures also revealed the top selling games in the US for March, with Super Smash Bros Brawl for the Wii selling 2.7 million copies, followed by the Xbox 360 hit Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 with the considerably lower figure of 752,000 units.