Third place is the new second, it seems. Data firm Strategy Analytics is reporting that, as of the end of 2010, PlayStation 3′s total active user base is 43.4 million units worldwide, whereas Xbox 360′s universal numbers amount to 42.9 million. Nintendo Wii is still on top, with 75.5 million active units across the globe.

“While the Kinect peripheral has given a boost to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 strategy, the console’s performance outside of the U.S. continues to disappoint,” says Strategy Analytics’ Digital Consumer Practice analyst Jia Wu.

“Global demand for Sony’s PS3 has exceeded that of the Xbox 360 in each of the past two years, and we expect that to continue over the coming years.”

Wu recommends Microsoft “continue[s] to innovate around its [Kinect] motion sensor technology, which will become increasingly relevant in the smart home era.”

The report closes predicting Xbox 360 will sell another 13.7 million by the end of 2011, while PlayStation 3 will sell a further 15.7 million. Wii, on the other hand, will continue to decline.

Thanks, Gamasutra.

Update 9:01pm: We made a bit of a boo-boo with our original post and title. It seems this article is speaking of the console’s “active user base”. We’ve updated the post and topic to reflect the correct information.