Nintendo Doesn't Lose Faith; Switch is Expected to be a Hit in 2023 as Well
The Switch is an elderly platform, but according to rumors, Nintendo believes that the console is yet to say its last word.
The Switch is now almost six years old, but apparently it will not be abandoned just yet. According to reports by Bloomberg agency Nintendo wants to increase production of the console after earlier lowering of forecasts.
In November, when the company published a report for the fiscal six months ending with September 2022, the Switch seemed to be in slightly worse shape (although its results were still excellent). The company predicted that it would sell 19 million copies of the console in the next fiscal year (starting April 1), 2 million fewer than the earlier projections.
Bloomberg's sources say that the main reason for the lowered sales estimates was the continuing shortage of components needed for consoles (primarily semiconductors). However, Nintendo is said to consider this problem solved, and as a result Switch is expected to reach its original sales target of 21 million consoles in the new fiscal year.
Arguably, this decision was also influenced by the upcoming release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The previous part of the popular series remains one of the best-selling titles on Switch, and we can expect that a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild will attract crowds of new buyers.
Still, increasing console shipments so many years after the device's debut would be quite a surprise. Rather, many would have expected Switch's production to slow down and the imminent announcement of its successor. Especially since competitors have been offering next-generation hardware for the past two years, and technology-wise Nintendo's console couldn't even compete with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, not even mentioning the PS5 and XSX/S.
At the same time, this is further proof that the Switch is a huge success for Nintendo. After the Wii U's failure, Switch enabled the company to put up a fight with Sony and Microsoft, and the device became one of the most popular consoles in history. This would also harmonize with news that plans to release a more powerful version of the Switch have been abandoned.
Even if "only" 19 million copies are distributed this fiscal year, the Switch will still take the second position on the list of best-selling consoles in history (the PS2 remains the undisputed leader with a result of 154-161 million units).
