Weekly figures published by Famitsu have revealed Nintendo's 3DS has passed 6 million units sold in Japan.

The official tally sits at a total of 6,017,206, with the handheld having taken roughly 15 months to hit said figure.

That means 3DS has sold at a rate of around 400,000 units a month since launch – a figure almost equal to two thirds of PS Vita's total sales in Japan since launch.

Turnaround

The news comes just hours after PocketGamer.biz exclusively revealed 3DS is on the brink of passing 1 million sales in the UK, 61 weeks after going on sale.

Such a figure represent a significant turnaround for the 3DS, which suffered slow sales in its first year.

The device is now tracking behind its predecessor at the same stage of its life in the UK, however, with DS having taken 51 weeks to pass sales of 1 million in the country.

Nevertheless, it's a total that lead Pocket Gamer editor in chief Kristan Reed to claim those who wrote the handheld off were way off the mark.

"To kick start 3DS demand and turn around its sluggish start, Nintendo had to endure heavy losses for the first time in its history," stated Reed.

"But when you've got the kind of cash reserves that Nintendo has, you can afford the odd mis-step."

[source: VG247]