Nielsen has published a new study that examines time spent on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii game consoles. The study finds that more and more people use their game consoles for video internet streaming. Nintendo Wii is the most popular streaming solution.

Consoles and internet streaming
Smart TVs are here to stay but people seem to favor their game consoles when it comes to internet streaming of TV shows and movies. Nielsen’s findings show that Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners use 14% and 15%, respectively, of their time streaming internet content. Nintendo Wii owners spent 33% of their console time streaming video over the internet.


Gaming consoles are turning into capable internet streaming devices, source: Nielsen

Nielsen’s study also shows that Americans spent significantly more time streaming video content on their game consoles in 2011 compared to 2010. Popular US streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Vudu have lead the race but NLB, NHL, and NBA services have also become successful in the recent years.

Game consoles are considered great devices for video streaming because of powerful processors that ensure fast navigation and good picture quality. Smart TVs, on the other hand, are often considered subpar solutions for video streaming because of the clunky interfaces, bad picture quality due to slow processor and sluggish navigation.

The study also finds that PlayStation 3 is a very popular DVD / Blu-ray player, and that Xbox 360 is the most popular online gaming machine.

- Source: Nielsen