It’s-a-me, a billionaire!
Nintendo keeps its secrets close. As the revenue keeps pouring in from Switch sales, the iconic hardware company is today refusing to tease the heavily rumoured next-gen Switch 2 console.
Instead, execs are hoping to keep selling more Switch consoles, even in households that already have one.
The Nintendo Switch launched in 2017 and it’s fast approaching what would typically be considered its end-of-life as a current-gen product by console standards.
For comparison: the PS4 launched in 2013 with its successor coming seven years later in 2022, as was the case with Microsoft’s Xbox.
Seeing as it’s nearing the end of the road, there are great Nintendo Switch deals to be had. So that’s a positive for you!
You would expect, then, something, anything in the way of a teaser, announcement or reveal. But really, why would they?
From a business perspective, it makes complete sense, as showing its hand and revealing what’s to come might disincentivise consumers from buying a Switch in the here and now. With sales being as good as they are, Nintendo will likely wait until the absolute last moment.
Nintendo’s big bosses confirmed as much in their forecast statement as they revealed they have surpassed 132.46 million units sold and they’re not stopping there as they “try not only to put one system in every home, but several in every home, or even one for every person”.
As reported by Bloomberg, which went over Nintendo’s latest fiscal report in great detail, the Kyoto-based company has “raised its annual profit forecast” with the report citing the performance of games such as Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Pikmin 4, with Mario games getting a boost from The Super Mario Bros Movie.
To give you an idea of the amount of games Nintendo is selling, RadioTimes.com covered TotK’s sales figures only a short while after launch and they were already staggering then.
Now, Nintendo “expects operating income of ¥500 billion ($3.3 billion), up from ¥450 billion previously”.
With this in mind, Nintendo is steaming ahead with their projected hardware sales figures.
Bloomberg notes: “The company kept the outlook for its signature hardware unchanged, at 15 million units in the year through March.”
As VGC reports, selling this many would bring it closer to being Nintendo’s best-selling console as the “Switch has just over 21 million units to go if it’s to become Nintendo’s best-selling hardware ever, beating Nintendo DS’s 154m”.
Only the venerable PlayStation 2 has sold more with 155 million consoles in its lifetime, a figure the Switch looks likely to beat – especially if its price is slashed when the next-gen Switch is launched.
With all this in mind – if you had any hope for a cheeky glimpse of what Nintendo is cooking, Bloomberg is on hand to douse those flames.
The trusted financial outlet said: “Furukawa declined to comment on any plans for a Switch successor.” Of course, we’ll be sure to let you know if that changes.
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