Nintendo 3DS to “Coexist” With Switch, President Says

Nintendo sees the 3DS and Switch “coexisting” together on the market for the time being.

Nintendo isn’t about to drop support for the 3DS any time soon. At least, that’s what Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima promised during an investor question and answer session on the company’s 2017 fiscal year.

During the Q&A session, Kimishima was asked if the Nintendo 3DS could “coexist” alongside the Switch during 2018 after the hybrid console’s successful first year. Kimishima responded by saying the Nintendo 3DS sales reached the company’s expectations last year and that the handheld console’s “ample software lineup” at an affordable price makes it a popular choice for parents looking to get a gaming system for their children.

This, Kimishima explained, means Nintendo still has a viable market for the 3DS during 2018’s fiscal year. Of course, that could change over time.

“Given that Nintendo Switch is a home gaming system that can be taken on the go, this situation may change if it grows from being a one-per-household system to a one-per-person system,” Kimishima explained to investors. “But the price of Nintendo Switch is not something with which most parents would buy a system for every one of their children in a short period of time.”

That means the 3DS and Switch will “coexist” together for now. But Nintendo is constantly assessing how much people want to spend for a Nintendo Switch. In other words, if the Switch becomes a “one-per-person system” that parents buy for each of their children, then Nintendo’s relationship with the 3DS could change.

“Moving forward, we will work to ascertain what kind of play people want at what price points, and as long as there is such demand, we will continue to sell the Nintendo 3DS system,” Kimishima said.

Meanwhile, Kimishima stressed that more details about Nintendo Switch Online are coming early this month.

“You will be able to read details about Nintendo Switch Online on our website in early May, but we are positioning the service as one means of increasing and enhancing the fun of playing Nintendo Switch,” Kimishima explained. “As we are preparing for the start of the service, costs have been incurred during this first half, but we do not expect the amount to be especially large.”

Read through the full Q&A briefing here.

H/T Nintendo Life