Bad news for gamers: insiders claim the successor to the popular Nintendo Switch console won’t be released until early 2025. This contradicts earlier rumours that suggested a release this year.
The new console is now expected to debut in March of the following year at the earliest. Nintendo reportedly needs more time to adapt its games to the new hardware. Despite being on the market for seven years, the current Switch continues to perform well, gaming insiders say.
The delay in the console’s release caused a significant drop in Nintendo’s shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. However, since November, Nintendo shares have been on the rise, thanks to a robust Japanese stock market.
Nintendo has reportedly informed game developers of the delay, stating the release can’t be expected any earlier than March 2025. Nintendo has yet to comment on this information.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa simply stated that plans for the next fiscal year, which ends in April 2025 for Nintendo, will be revealed during their balance sheet presentation in May.
A challenging year ahead without a new console
Nintendo expert Serkan Toto told Bloomberg, “Nintendo will likely have a sparse pipeline this year because the company will aim to have the blockbusters ready for the next console. This could mean remakes of classic Nintendo hits might appear in 2024. Without a new device, 2024 will undoubtedly be a challenging year for Nintendo.”
By deciding to delay the Switch’s successor until the following year, Nintendo will miss out on the lucrative Christmas sales.
Earlier this February, Nintendo increased its sales forecast for the Switch. For the fiscal year 2023/24, the company now aims to sell 15.5 million units, up from the initial target of 15.0 million units. This still falls short of the previous year’s sales of 17.97 million units.
In the first nine months of the current fiscal year, 13.74 million Switch consoles were sold, compared to 14.91 million units the previous year. As it enters its eighth year of production, Nintendo is banking on new games to sustain demand.
So far, roughly 139 million units of the console have been sold worldwide.
