Nintendo has proudly announced that its newest handheld console has cleared five million sold copies faster than any gaming device ever released in Japan. It has sold faster than any of Nintendo’s previous handhelds, including the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance. Because the 3DS launched February 26th last year in Japan, it has sold this huge amount of units in less than a year.

It should be noted that the figure of five mil refers to units sold and not units shipped. The 3DS released to a rocky start but hit its stride after dozens of hot game releases and a significant price drop. With several more highly anticipated games on the way, I don’t see the handhelds momentum slowing any.