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Following Nintendo’s quarterly report outlining its profits and future plans, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa declined to answer a question regarding if new Nintendo Switch hardware is coming this fiscal year. While Furukawa’s lack of a response might not seem like much and isn’t entirely indicative that new hardware is coming soon, based on the president’s past response to the same question–and Nintendo’s fiscal report–it could mean a new model is on the way.
According to Bloomberg reporter Takashi Mochizuki, when Furukawa was asked the same question two years ago–during a year when the company did not release new Switch hardware–the president was forthcoming about Nintendo’s plans. Seeing how Furukawa avoided responding this time around, it seems possible the company has something up its sleeves. Nintendo’s current fiscal year runs until the end of March 2023, leaving the studio with plenty of time to announce–and release–a new iteration of the portable console.
Based on Nintendo’s most recent fiscal report, a new Switch model could be just what the company needs. This past fiscal year, Nintendo sold fewer Switch units than the one prior. Of course some of this was to be expected due to supply issues surrounding the Switch, but the company has also dropped its expected Switch sales for the current fiscal year from 21.7 million to 21 million. Bloomberg said while Nintendo is often conservative with its forecasting, this reflects the Switch’s slowing momentum, something Furukawa noted was a trend with Nintendo consoles and hoped to stop with the Switch. While the company has made plans to split its stock, releasing upgraded hardware would be a huge boon to revenue.
An upgraded Nintendo Switch–often referred to as the Nintendo Switch Pro–has been rumored to be in the works for some time now. While Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser told The Washington Post that the company is in no rush to push out new Nintendo Switch hardware last summer, the decline in Switch sales and the console’s recent five year anniversary could change that. After all, five years does seem the right time for a hardware upgrade–especially since Nintendo claims the Switch is only in the middle of its life cycle.
Fortunately for the company, Nintendo has no shortage of software coming this year. As of right now, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Splatoon 3, Sonic Frontiers, and a new generation of Pokemon games–Pokemon Scarlet and Violet–are slated for 2022 releases.
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