Nintendo remains tight-lipped on the widely-expected launch of Switch 2 this year – except to say that its current Switch hardware would remain its “main business” heading into the year.
In an investor call today, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said the company would lay out its plan for the coming financial year at its next earnings briefing, expected in May (thanks, Bloomberg).
For now, Nintendo reported a rosy set of results, with better-than-estimated numbers for Switch sales and overall profit. The current Nintendo Switch now stands at 139m sold – around 38m more than the Wii.
Last year’s Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has now passed 20m copies sold, while the evergreen Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has shifted a staggering 60m over its lifetime.
More recent releases such as Super Mario Bros. Wonder have sold well, with nearly 12m sales for Super Mario Bros. Wonder and 3m sales for the Super Mario RPG remake.
It’s important to note, however, that despite beating Nintendo’s own estimates and still selling well, Switch hardware remains in decline – and has been for several years.
Switch still has five major Nintendo game launches remaining on its docket, including Mario vs. Donkey Kong this month, Princess Peach: Showtime! on 22nd March and then Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD this summer. A remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is listed with a vague “2024” launch, while the long, long-awaited Metroid Prime 4 languishes with the same “TBA” release window it has had for years.
Last month, Apex Legends maker EA said it can’t “acknowledge” Switch 2, but “new platforms are good for us”, following a report that Switch 2 will feature a larger eight-inch LCD screen.