Not wanting to be outdone by the PS3's launch success , Nintendo has just announced that the DS is now in the hands of 3million UK consumers.

The figure, coming courtesy of Chart Track, reinforces the DS's position as the most widespread gaming platform in the UK. Chart Track also reports that the DS accounts for 68% of the UK handheld market so far this year.

Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen proof of the DS's hardware success. Back in January SPOnG happily reported that the DS had sold close to 13million worldwide.

Despite these figures, the DS still has some production issues two years into its life span. Last week SPOnG reported that the DS was unavailable in the US for three weeks earlier this year. The fact, then, that the DS keeps going from strength to strength in spite of these issues is a strong indicator of its popularity.

Nintendo UK's general manager, David Yarnton, commented,



The release of non-traditional games such as Dr Kawashima's Brain Training has certainly done wonders in reaching non-traditional gamers. SPOnG's looking forward to seeing whether the same approach will continue to drive the Wii in the face of the PS3's surprising success over its launch weekend.