Nintendo recently announced its latest financial results, revealing a mixed picture for the popular Switch console. While hardware sales have dropped by almost a quarter over the past 12 months, game sales remain strong.

Hardware Sales Past Peak

Despite strong early sales and a record-breaking launch, the Switch has now entered its seventh year, and hardware sales have definitively passed their peak. Nintendo reported a total of 125.62 million consoles sold worldwide, but only an additional 18 million over the past year. The company has forecasted sales of 15 million consoles over the next year, but even that may be a stretch. Nintendo’s president, Satoru Furukawa, has admitted that sustaining the Switch’s sales momentum in its seventh year will be difficult.

Strong Game Sales

Although hardware sales are down, game sales remain strong. Evergreen titles such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continue to sell, and first-party games like Pokmon and Splatoon have sold well over the past two years. Pokmon Scarlet and Violet have sold a combined 22.1 million copies since their late 2022 launch, and the highly anticipated Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has just launched.

Nintendo’s Future Plans

While Pikmin 4 is set to arrive in July, Nintendo’s release schedule only extends to DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Pokmon Scarlet and Violet. Nintendo is expected to make a big return to Gamescom in August, where we may learn about the company’s plans for the latter half of 2023. Despite the challenges ahead, Nintendo will do its best to bolster demand going into the holiday season and achieve its sales goal for the next year.

In conclusion, Nintendo Switch console sales may have dropped, but the console remains a popular choice for gamers. With a strong lineup of games and plans for future releases, it will be interesting to see how Nintendo adapts to the challenges of sustaining its sales momentum in the coming years.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the current sales trend for Nintendo Switch?

  Nintendo Switch console sales have dropped by almost a quarter over the 12 months ending 31st March, though game sales remain strong. The company has sold a total of 125.62m consoles worldwide, but only 18m more over the past 12 months. Nintendo forecasts it will shift a further 15m consoles over the 12 months ending 31st March 2024, which would make for yet another decline.

• What games have contributed to the strong sales of Nintendo Switch?

  Evergreen games such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (now on an astonishing 53.79m copies) continue to sell, while new releases like Pokmon Scarlet and Violet have now sold a combined 22.1m copies since their launch late last year. Nintendos big launch for Switch this year is Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which launches this week. Following that, Nintendos own release schedule extends only to DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Pokmon Scarlet and Violet.

• What is Nintendo’s forecast for Switch sales?

  Nintendo forecasts it will sell 15m Switch consoles over the 12 months ending 31st March 2024, which would make for yet another decline. However, Nintendo president Satoru Furukawa has admitted that this prediction may be tough to hit, and the company is working to bolster demand going into the holiday season to achieve its goal.

• What are some of the upcoming games for Nintendo Switch?

  Pikmin 4 is set to arrive in July, while Nintendo’s own release schedule extends only to DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Pokmon Scarlet and Violet. The company is due to make a big return to Gamescom this August, where it seems likely we’ll hear about plans for the latter half of 2023.