Nintendo Switch 2 Announcement Leaves Original Console Sales Unaffected

Nintendo is confident that the buzz around their upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 hasn’t negatively affected the sales of their original hybrid console. This assurance comes after a shareholder expressed concerns during a recent meeting about the company’s decision to lower their hardware and software sales estimates for the fiscal year, trimming them by 1.5 million and 10 million units, respectively.

Shuntaro Furukawa, the president of Nintendo, addressed these concerns by explaining that the revision was based on actual sales performance during the third quarter (October-December 2024) and projections for the rest of the fiscal year. “Looking at the sales trends, especially during the holiday season, we decided to adjust our forecast. That included considering changes in the exchange rate, which we updated from 140 yen to 150 yen per U.S. dollar,” Furukawa detailed.

Despite lowering their predictions, Furukawa emphasized the strength of the Nintendo Switch, which has already sold over 150 million units. He highlighted that the company was optimistic at the start of the fiscal year, bolstered by their impressive library of evergreen games and a player base exceeding 100 million annually. However, even with high hopes and strong new releases like Super Mario Party Jamboree, sales didn’t quite hit the initial targets.

Furukawa admitted that some consumers might be holding off on buying the current Switch due to the anticipated release of the Switch 2. Nevertheless, he noted that new customers are still purchasing the console, and many are buying replacement or additional systems. As for software sales, although there has been a year-on-year decline, Furukawa believes the upcoming compatibility with Switch 2 should mitigate any hesitation in software purchases.

The lack of a major blockbuster title akin to last year’s “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” or “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” was also mentioned as a factor affecting software sales momentum. But enthusiasm remains high for the next major leap—Nintendo Switch 2—which will be detailed further in an upcoming Nintendo Direct presentation scheduled for April 2, at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST.

Looking ahead, Nintendo has slated the global release of the Nintendo Switch 2 for 2025, although the exact date is still under wraps. Keep an eye out for more updates as excitement builds around this much-anticipated launch.