Nintendo ‘will not be announcing new hardware this year’
Furukawa says the plan is to manufacture enough Switch consoles to reach its sales goal
Nintendo will not be announcing a Switch Pro or the successor to the Switch this year, it’s been reported.
A new article by Nikkei analyses Nintendo’s recent sales report, which states a decline in hardware and software sales year-on-year for the three months ending June 2022.
Nikkei’s article claims that because of Nintendo’s focus on achieving its current sales plan, it’s concentrating entirely on building enough Nintendo Switch units with the components it’s been able to secure.
Speaking to the publication, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said: “Normally, we stockpile inventory in the summer to prepare for the year-end sales season, which is at its peak. This summer, we are not able to produce as many as usual.”
Although Furukawa told Nikkei that the company is still aiming for a target of 21 million Switch consoles shipped during the fiscal year ending March 2023, the situation regarding the procurement of parts remains unclear.
In November last year Nintendo said it was still internally discussing the concept and launch timing for its next gaming system.
Nintendo reportedly said it is still going through internal discussions on the hardware concept and launch timing, suggesting many significant details have yet to be finalised.
Additionally, Nintendo reiterated that it believes Switch is still in the middle phase of its lifecycle and that it’s seeking a sixth year of growth for the platform aided by the new OLED model and a diverse software lineup.
Further reading
Nintendo also reports sales decline as Switch hits 111m
Nintendo sold a further 3.43 million Switch consoles in the last quarter (compared to 4.45 million during the same period last year), bringing the system’s life-to-date total to 111.08 million.
Earlier this year Switch was already confirmed as the best-selling Nintendo home console of all-time, beating Wii’s 101.63m. However, it still has a way to go before it matches Nintendo DS’s 154.02 million units sold, and Game Boy (and Game Boy Color) at 118.69 million.
