Switch 2 will be revealed before April 2025, promises Nintendo
Nintendo confirms Switch 2 will be announced before April 2025 amid sales slump.
In a strategic move aimed at reinvigorating its console lineup and market presence, Nintendo has officially confirmed that the next-generation Nintendo Switch, colloquially termed the 'Switch 2,' will be announced before the end of March 2025. This announcement was part of Nintendo's latest financial results briefing, where the company also shared its performance outlook, highlighting an anticipated slow in hardware sales. The current Switch model, which has seen various iterations since its initial release, is expected to witness a decrease in sales volume this fiscal year, with a projected sale of 13.5 million units compared to 15.7 million units in the previous fiscal year. The company's net profit is also expected to fall by 39 percent, alongside a 19 percent decline in revenue.
Despite the forecasted dip in hardware sales, Nintendo's user engagement metrics paint a more positive picture. The company reported that the number of active players on the Switch platform has continued to rise, reaching a record of 123 million annual players from April 2023 to March 2024, which is the highest since the console's launch. This suggests a robust and engaged user base, highlighting the console's success in maintaining its relevance and appeal among gamers.
Looking ahead, Nintendo's strategy appears twofold: to manage the natural lifecycle decline of the current Switch model while preparing for the next generation's launch. With the promise of the Switch 2's announcement and no mention of it in the upcoming Nintendo Direct focused on software lineup for the latter half of 2024, Nintendo seems to be meticulously planning its transition to ensure a seamless handover from one generation to the next. This approach, coupled with efforts to increase the Switch's household penetration — aiming for multiple consoles per home or even one per person — reflects Nintendo's broader ambition to dominate the gaming market by adapting to changing consumer demands and technological advancements.