The Nintendo Switch is coming up on six years old — positively geriatric by console standards — but it’s still managing to shift millions of units each year. The hybrid console is performing so well in terms of sales that Nintendo is reportedly planning to boost its production in 2023, despite the cloudier outlooks of industry analysts.
The report comes from Bloomberg journalists Takashi Mochizuki and Debby Wu, who spoke to sources familiar with the matter. After selling around 21 million Switch units this fiscal year, Nintendo is revising its previous sales forecast of 19 million units for the upcoming year. However, the Japanese company has not settled on a specific new target. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa and other top executives have said that any dips in Switch sales have been primarily due to component shortages and supply chain issues rather than any actual slump in demand.
A few analysts don’t see things quite so rosily, however. One researcher quoted in the Bloomberg report pointed out that Switch holiday sales were underwhelming even without the production issues of the last few years and described a slowdown in the hybrid console demand as “unavoidable.” With the possibility of a Switch successor on the horizon, consumers who might otherwise have invested in a Switch may choose to wait for the upcoming newer model.
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There is some merit to Nintendo’s plans. The fact that the company is increasing Switch production suggests that the next-gen Switch might be further away than anticipated. Also, 2023 is set to be a banner year for first-party Nintendo games, most notably The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, in May. Must-play titles also tend to sell consoles, especially if a special limited-edition version is selling alongside the game. The successor to a Zelda game synonymous with the Switch will likely shift a console or two along the way.
