3DS becomes Amazon's most pre-ordered console
Handheld bests PS3's UK record by 20% with a week to go
Nintendo's 3DS has become Amazon.co.uk's most pre-ordered console with a week still to go before release, beating the PlayStation 3's previous record by 20 per cent.
Before the PS3, the Wii had held the pre-order record, which 3DS has exceeded by 56 per cent. The best performing model of DS previously was the DSi, pre-orders of which the 3DS has exceeded by 255 per cent.
"It's unusual for a handheld console to attract this amount of excitement in the run up to launch, such high levels of interest are normally reserved for the play-at-home hardware like the ground-breaking Nintendo Wii and last year's Microsoft Kinect," said Chris Poad, director of video games at Amazon.co.uk Ltd.
"Nintendo 3DS is launching at a time when interest in all things 3D is incredibly high and with the promise of real 3D graphics without glasses, it's a real breakthrough in handheld video game entertainment."
The machine will be available form March 25, having sparked something of a price war among retailers, with Amazon's price of £187 the cheapest. That price was matched this week by supermarket Morrisons. Many other retailers, such as Game and HMV are asking £230.