Nintendo 3DS Launch: 113,000 Sold

Nintendo claims that U.S. launch day sales broke the company’s record for first day sales of a handheld console, but what about the UK launch that took place a couple of days before?

Nintendo last week made headlines with the lofty claim that launch-day sales of the 3DS had surpassed that of any other handheld from the company. However, Nintendo failed to provide any hard sales data, preferring to wait until April 14 to release numbers. Things are a tad different in the UK and Europe, though, as the company is more than happy to dish on just how many 3DSes were sold in the first few days.

According to Videogamer, Nintendo has announced that the 3DS sold 303,000 units during the European launch weekend and 113,000 of those units were sold in the United Kingdom. This represents a best for Nintendo, as the company’s previous record for opening sales was held by the Wii (which sold 106,000 units).

Still, it's not all good news for Nintendo as the company is currently battling the British tabloids. The Sun newspaper today claimed that "thousands" of gamers around the country had suffered headaches and dizziness while playing with the 3DS. The red-top went on to report that as a result, retailers had seen "record return levels." For its part, Nintendo says feedback about the 3DS has been overwhelmingly positive and return-rates for each retailer are in the single figures.

The 3DS carries a retail price of anywhere between £187 and £230.