Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has confirmed the long-awaited “Nintendo Switch 2” will be announced by April 2025, the end of the company’s current financial year. At this stage, we’re no closer to learning when exactly we’ll hear more about the console, but Furukawa’s confirmation is a positive sign that its announcement remains on track.
When the Nintendo Switch 2 is finally revealed, it will likely contribute to a significant upswing for Nintendo’s financial forecasts. In its latest report, the company has lowered its operating profit outlook, as hardware sales have slowed significantly.
In the three months ending September 30, Nintendo pushed its hardware sales forecast from 13.5 million to 12.5 million, and lowered its operating profit outlook by 10%. Nintendo has explained this drop by noting the extraordinary releases of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and the Super Mario Bros. Movie in early 2023 have made 2024 underperform by comparison.
With no special factors driving hardware or software sales, and the Nintendo Switch now in its eighth year on the market, there has naturally been a downturn in both software and hardware sales.
Read: Everything we know about the Nintendo Switch 2
Regardless of overall downturn, many of Nintendo’s latest games sold well in its latest financial quarter. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has sold 2.58 million units since launch, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door has sold 1.94 million units, and Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD has sold 1.57 million units. The evergreen best-seller Mario Kart 8 Deluxe also managed to sell 2.31 million units, despite it now being a decade old.
Nintendo has reported a 27.6% decrease in software sales overall, but noted sales for recent releases “grew steadily” in this financial quarter, and sales for evergreen titles were also steady.
The reality is Nintendo is currently dealing with the natural downturn of a console entering its twilight years. The Nintendo Switch has enjoyed its time in the sun, and is currently one of the longest-serving “main” consoles on the market.
It certainly feels like it’s time for Nintendo to announce its plans for a successor console – and until then, the company’s financials will likely chart a downward course. At the very least, there is something major in the tank – and the new console is likely to make an immediate impact, on announcement. At this stage, we’ll have to stay patient and wait for more news, as Nintendo keeps its future plans close to its chest.
