Nintendo Switch 2 Announcement Leaves Original Console’s Sales Unaffected

Nintendo doesn’t feel that unveiling the Nintendo Switch 2 has affected sales of its original hybrid console.

This assertion was made in reply to a shareholder’s inquiry about why the company adjusted its annual financial forecast by lowering expectations for both hardware and software sales by 1.5 million and 10 million units respectively.

Shuntaro Furukawa, Nintendo’s president, explained their decision: “After reviewing sales figures from the third-quarter (October-December 2024) and our outlook for the rest of the fiscal year, we decided to adjust our sales targets,” he stated.

“We’ve also amended the expected exchange rate, moving it from 140 to 150 yen per U.S. dollar. Considering these aspects, along with holiday season trends, led us to adjust our fiscal forecast, cutting down on our initial hardware sales expectations by 1.5 million units and software by 10 million units.”

The Nintendo Switch has now sold over 150 million units, establishing itself as a well-adopted platform. This fiscal year, Nintendo planned to release several captivating titles, banking on these alongside their evergreen favorites, and a user base of more than 100 million annual players. These factors contributed to the ambitious targets set at the beginning of the fiscal year.

Holiday sales of new releases like Super Mario Party Jamboree were robust worldwide. And in regions beyond Japan, package deals featuring hardware and games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe moved well. Despite this being the platform’s eighth year, actual numbers didn’t meet expectations.

While acknowledging a potential minor impact from consumers waiting for the Switch 2, Furukawa noted that there remained a significant influx of new customers and those buying additional or replacement consoles throughout the holiday season.

In terms of software, even though sales are slightly down compared to last year, the decision to delay purchases didn’t have a massive effect since Switch games will be compatible with the Switch 2. He remarked that this year lacked massive hits similar to last year’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom or Super Mario Bros. Wonder, both of which could have driven wider excitement and significant sales spikes.

You can catch more details about Nintendo’s upcoming console during their Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 presentation, scheduled at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST on Wednesday, April 2.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is set for a global release in 2025, though the exact launch date hasn’t been announced yet.