Xbox One the highest selling console in the US for December

Microsoft has managed to claim a small victory over Sony after it was confirmed the Xbox One sold more units than the PlayStation 4 in the US over December.

Figures show that the Xbox One shifted an impressive 908,000 consoles over the month, although Sony believes that the PS4 sold less due to a restricted supply.

It was also confirmed that the Xbox 360 sold 643,000 units in the US for the month, meaning it won the battle over the PlayStation 3.

"We're grateful for the excitement and support of our fans - many purchasing their next Xbox console and many joining the Xbox family for the first time," said Xbox's Yusuf Mehdi.

"Our journey is just starting, with more innovation, games and entertainment coming in 2014 and far beyond."

Sony is still claiming the lead over the Xbox One when it comes to cumulative sales around the world, saying the console sold 4.2 million units in 2013.

"According to the latest NPD report, PlayStation 4 remains the cumulative leader for next-gen console sales in the US since its launch on Nov 15," Sony spokesperson Dan Race told GamesBeat.

"We sold every PS4 available at retail in the US and were out of stock in December due to overwhelming consumer demand.

"It's clear that the PS4's gaming and entertainment features are resonating with large audiences and we're doing our best to provide additional inventory in all of the 53 countries where it's available."

The best-selling system in December overall for the Nintendo 3DS handheld, which continues to go from strength to strength.