Development of Nintendo’s next console is reportedly ‘progressing well’

Development of new Nintendo hardware is reportedly “progressing well”.

That’s according to a Nikkei Asia source, who the publication claims is close to the platform holder.

“Development seems to be progressing well,” they said. “But a product launch won’t happen before next spring at the earliest.”

Earlier today, Nintendo reported a slowdown in Switch hardware sales and suggested no new hardware will launch before April 2024.

The company said it sold 17.97 million Switch consoles during the fiscal year ended in March, taking lifetime sales to 125.62 million.

It expects to sell 15 million Switch consoles during the current fiscal year, which would represent a 16.5% year-over-year decline.

“Nintendo Switch has entered its seventh year since launch, and while it will become more challenging to maintain the same sales momentum as before, our goal is to have more consumers continue to play Nintendo Switch for longer, leading to maximized sales,” the company said in a statement.

Speaking on an earnings call, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa reportedly said the company isn’t completely confident in hitting its 15 million sales target.

Further reading

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Nintendo says the transition to its next console is ‘a major focus for us’

The company wants to alleviate the risk of resetting its userbase, says Furukawa

According to Bloomberg, Furukawa added that no new or upgraded hardware is factored into Nintendo’s annual forecast.

“Sustaining the Switch’s sales momentum will be difficult in its seventh year,” Furukawa said. “Our goal of selling 15 million units this fiscal year is a bit of stretch. But we will do our best to bolster demand going into the holiday season so that we can achieve the goal.”