Streaming video on game consoles is up over last year, according to Nielsen. An October survey reveals that streaming and video-on-demand represent a larger weekly share of usage on Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii compared to last year.

Streaming now represents a reported 14 percent of Xbox 360 time, 15 percent of PS3 time and 33 percent of Wii time. This growth is fueled by the availability of services like Netflix, Hulu, MLB Network and ESPN3. Time spent on game consoles in general is also on the rise. Metered console usage data from the first half of 2011 shows that the three platforms combined are up 7 percent in user time versus the year prior. Taken together, these findings suggest that streaming is incrementally adding to the time users are spending with consoles.

While the rise of streaming is evident across all three consoles, each maintains distinct usage characteristics. On a share basis, Xbox 360 is most notable for online gaming (34% of usage), PlayStation 3 is most notable for DVD / Blu-Ray viewing (22% of usage) and the Wii is most notable for offline gaming (55% of usage).

More insights on gamers, console dynamics and allocations of time and money within gaming and the broader entertainment category will be featured in the third annual Nielsen 360° Gaming Report: U.S. Market, available in early 2012. Additionally, an overview of key findings from the 2010 version of the report can now be downloaded here.

Survey conducted among a general population sample of n=3,000 in the United States, October 2011.