Nintendo has published the financial results for the last quarter of 2023. The figures for the Switch are logically down, which still does not motivate the Japanese firm to discuss the sequel.
When will Nintendo decide to discuss the console that will succeed the Switch? This is a question that is likely to arise every time the multinational speaks. Even if the financial results for the last quarter of 2023 were shared on February 6, 2024, it will not be for today. However, we see that the Switch is selling less and less.
From January to December, Nintendo sold 16.81 million Switches (-12% compared to 2022). This is the second lowest volume, behind 2017, the year the console was released (in March, which lost two months of sales). Since 2020, we have observed an inevitable decline. The cruising speed remains impressive given the longevity of the Switch, but several indicators suggest that it is time to consider what comes next.
When exactly is the Switch 2 coming?
“ In the last quarter specifically (Oct-Dec, the most important of the year), we are talking about 6.9 million Switches sold worldwide, down 16% compared to 2022. For once, it’s is the worst result for the console during this period of the year “, underlines Oscar Lemaire, journalist specializing in figures. This is the sign of a “collapse” which is not surprising: we are talking about a console which will celebrate its seven years and peaks at nearly 140 million sales since its release. It is the third best-selling console in history, behind the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation 2.
Despite this announced decline, Nintendo still refuses to talk about a Switch 2 – or brand new hardware. To investors, the manufacturer simply says: “ We will continue to work to maximize game sales in an environment where many people continue to play Nintendo Switch. »
He also adds: “ This is the seventh fiscal year since we launched Nintendo Switch, but sales continue to be strong and there are more players than ever before. » The volume increased from 31 to 122 annual users between 2018 and 2023. An increase which testifies to the popularity of the console. This is probably why the page is so hard to turn. The silence surrounding the Switch 2 in any case makes one happy: the OLED model is selling more and more.
In a tweet published on February 6, NintendHome indicates that Shuntaro Furukawa, president of Nintendo, has announced that the Switch will remain the company’s main activity in 2024. Which means everything and nothing at the same time: the Switch 2 could very well be made official in the months ahead for an exit at the end of the year or early 2025. Plans will be clarified in May, during the next meeting with investors – i.e. at the end of the current fiscal year, which ends on March 31. Until then, Nintendo has no interest in talking about the Switch 2, unless it wants to cannibalize Switch sales.
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