Nintendo Chief Addresses Decline in Switch Sales Amid Anticipation for New Model
By Will persist in showcasing hardware “as long as there is a demand.”
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has indicated that the expectations of fans regarding Switch 2 are no longer the primary reason behind the significant drop in Switch 1’s sales.
Earlier today, Nintendo acknowledged that it had not met its own sales targets for Switch 1 throughout 2024. The company has adjusted its financial projections as console sales decreased by 30 percent, and sales of Switch 1 also fell sharply.
During a conversation with investors after the announcement, Furukawa dismissed the idea that anticipation for Switch 2 was to blame.
“We don’t believe the influence of postponing purchases [due to Switch 2] is significant,” Furukawa mentioned, as reported by the Japanese newspaper The Sankei Shimbun. “We consider it to be a solid eighth year, but we have not achieved our target.”
It is quite reasonable to suggest that, after eight years, any console manufacturer should expect sales to decline – as indeed they have for Switch 1 since the peak sales period in 2022.
2024 also proved to be a noticeably quieter year for Switch 1 software releases overall, with The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and Mario Party Jamboree performing well but not as robustly as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros. Wonder in 2023.
Even though fans may be eagerly anticipating Nintendo’s updates regarding Switch 2, there remains a large base of Switch owners who are less invested in the company’s plans for the future. Regardless, Nintendo has experienced a more pronounced decline in Switch 1 sales this year than it had previously expected.
Nevertheless, it is clear that Nintendo will continue to champion its immensely successful Switch 1 for the time being. Furukawa emphasized that the company intends to…