With the launch this Friday, 25th March 2011, the Nintendo 3DS handheld console now has 71% more pre-orders on Amazon.co.uk than previous record-holder PlayStation 3 achieved by its launch date in 2007.

The new handheld console also has more than double the pre-orders the previously most pre-ordered Nintendo console, Nintendo Wii, achieved in 2006.

“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.”

Nintendo 3DS has also beaten Amazon.co.uk pre-orders achieved by any other DS console with more than five times (407%) those for Nintendo DSi in 2009.

Interest in Nintendo 3DS is reflected in the charts on Amazon.co.uk with the console already featuring twice in the top ten bestsellers chart and games made for the new handheld console – Ridge Racer 3D, Pilot Wings Resort, Super Monkey Ball 3D, Rayman 3D and Super Street Fighter IV – all occupying spots in the top twenty Hot Future Releases.

The top five most pre-ordered consoles/gaming hardware of all-time on Amazon.co.uk are:

1. Nintendo 3DS – launching 25 March 2011
2. PlayStation 3 – launched March 2007
3. Nintendo Wii – launched December 2006
4. Microsoft Kinect – launched November 2010
5. PlayStation Move – launched September 2010

Nintendo 3DS will be released on Friday 25th March 2011 and is currently priced at £187.00 at Amazon.co.uk