3DS to Reach 4 Million in Japanese Sales by Year’s End

Current sales figures put the 3DS on track to hit the 4 million mark in Japan by the end of 2011. According to a Nikkei report translated by Andriasang, Nintendo’s handheld has sold a total of 3.6 million units in its home country with two weeks left in the year.

With the 3DS selling nearly 400,000 systems each week for the past fourteen days, it seems a forgone conclusion that it will hit the 4 million milestone by the start of 2012. As the holiday rush starts to peak, the potential that the system will hit that mark a week early is still a distinct possibility.

The recent surge in 3DS sales is due in part to the holiday season, but also has been boosted thanks to the release of Monster Hunter Tri 3G, which has been topping the Japanese sales charts in Japan since its release.

The 4 million mark seems to be approaching well ahead of Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata’s own predictions. He forecasted that the 3DS would hit the goal by its one-year anniversary in February. It would seem his guess was just a few months premature.