Research company Hitwise UK has discovered the Nintendo Wii is the most searched for console on the internet in the run-up to Christmas following an in-depth study on internet use.

The Nintendo Wii was joined by the Nintendo DS and Microsoft's Xbox 360 in the top ten list of the most searched for gadgets online.

Hitwise UK research director Robin Goad said: “Search term analysis provides great insight into people's habits and desires.

“The Nintendo Wii is the most searched for gaming console in the UK, ranking as the sixth most popular gadget heading into Christmas, ahead of the Xbox 360 at number seven and the Nintendo DS at number eight. There were five times as many searches for the Nintendo Wii as the Sony PlayStation 3, which did not make the top ten gadget list.”

The study looked at the top 2,000 search terms across 100 of the most popular online retail websites during the four weeks ending September 22.

Console manufacturers Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft also came seventh, eighth and ninth in a list of the top ten gadget brands searched for.