- tech360.tv
Nintendo to Announce Successor to Switch Console by March-End
Nintendo plans to announce the successor to its Switch console by the end of March. The company expects to sell 13.5 million Switch units in the current financial year. No specific details about the new hardware will be disclosed during Nintendo's June presentation.
With the extended lifecycle of the Switch and hit titles like "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," fans are eagerly anticipating the next-generation hardware.
Nintendo aims to sell 13.5 million Switch units in the current financial year, as it seeks to maximise sales from the existing device. However, the company has not provided any specific details about the new hardware, stating that there will be no disclosure during its Nintendo Direct presentation in June.
Serkan Toto, founder of the Kantan Games consultancy, believes that many users will hold off on purchasing the current Switch, knowing that the new model will be released in 2025. This anticipation could impact sales of the current device.
Last year, Nintendo sold 15.7 million units of the hybrid home-portable Switch, which was launched in March 2017. In February, the company raised its full-year forecast to 15.5 million units. Despite a decline in overall hardware sales, the OLED model of the Switch has seen year-on-year growth.
Nintendo expects its operating profit to decrease by approximately a quarter to 400 billion yen ($2.6 billion) this year. The company is strategically holding back major game releases for the successor device, with titles like "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door" scheduled for later this month and "Luigi's Mansion 2" in June.
President Shuntaro Furukawa acknowledged that game development has become more sophisticated and complex since the launch of the Switch. In the previous fiscal year, Nintendo's operating profit grew by 4.9% to 528.9 billion yen.
Ahead of the earnings announcement, Nintendo's shares closed up 2.4% and have seen a 5.4% increase this year, following a recent sell-off. However, industry expert Serkan Toto believes that the launch window for the new hardware in fiscal 2026 is quite late.
Nintendo plans to announce the successor to its Switch console by the end of March.
The company expects to sell 13.5 million Switch units in the current financial year.
No specific details about the new hardware will be disclosed during Nintendo's June presentation.
Source: REUTERS