Nintendo (7974.T) has reduced its full-year sales forecast for the Switch console by 12%, now projecting only 11 million units sold as the device faces waning momentum ahead of the release of its successor later this year. Despite the decline, Nintendo remains focused on its console business, alongside its ventures into physical stores and expanding its brand with theme parks and films.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa acknowledged that while hardware and software sales remained solid for the eighth consecutive year, the company failed to meet its initial sales goals. For the period from April to December, Nintendo sold 9.54 million Switch units, bringing total sales to 150.86 million units.
The company previously announced plans to launch a successor to the popular Switch in 2025, with the unveiling scheduled for an upcoming Nintendo Direct event on April 2. The new device is expected to retain the hybrid design of its predecessor, which significantly revived Nintendo’s fortunes after the underperformance of the Wii U console.
As a result of the forecasted slowdown, Nintendo has lowered its operating profit estimate by 22.2%, bringing the expected figure to 280 billion yen ($1.8 billion) for the financial year ending in March. For the April-December period, the company saw a sharp 46.7% drop in profit, totaling 247.6 billion yen.
