Nintendo’s top brass doesn’t think that the unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2 has put a dent in the sales figures of their original hybrid console.
A shareholder raised concerns about why Nintendo adjusted its financial expectations for the year, cutting back on hardware and software sales projections by 1.5 million and 10 million units, respectively.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa addressed these concerns by explaining, “Looking at the third quarter sales from October to December 2024, and forecasting what’s ahead for the fiscal year, we decided to tweak our sales predictions for both Nintendo Switch hardware and software.”
He went on to explain that they also adjusted their exchange rate assumptions, among other reasons, which all contributed to the decision to modify the financial outlook for the year. The adjusted sales expectations reflect a decrease in hardware and software predictions, mainly due to trends observed during the holiday shopping season. Currently, they are using an exchange rate of 150 yen to the dollar, up from 140 yen.
“The Nintendo Switch has surpassed 150 million units in sales, developing into a strong platform with a broad customer base. Earlier in the fiscal year, we were geared up to release several exciting new games. This, along with our evergreen titles and over 100 million annual active players, inspired us to aim high initially,” he shared.
During the holiday months, games like Super Mario Party Jamboree performed well globally, and outside Japan, hardware bundles featuring titles like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had solid results. While sales held steady for the eighth year of the platform, they didn’t quite hit the targets they had originally set.
“I can’t say there wasn’t any impact from some consumers waiting for the Nintendo Switch 2, but the holiday season did see a lot of new buyers for the Nintendo Switch, along with customers upgrading or adding second consoles,” Furukawa elaborated.
On the software front, even though sales volumes are down compared to last year, the decision to hold off purchases didn’t significantly affect the market since Nintendo Switch software will be compatible with the new Nintendo Switch 2. The adjustment in our software sales forecast is partly due to the absence of blockbuster titles, like the previous year’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom or Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which could have stirred up excitement and boosted overall sales.”
You can catch all the details about Nintendo’s next big thing at the Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 presentation, scheduled for 6 a.m. PT / 9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. CEST on Wednesday, April 2.
The global launch of Nintendo Switch 2 is slated for 2025, though an exact date is still up in the air.
