As Switch Momentum Slows, Nintendo Expects Further Sales Decline Next Year

Their (declinded) expectation for the sevent year is still more then the Wii U sold

unexpected that an over 6 year old console sells less, esp. weird considering the console is up to date on the technical side...

Seriously wonder if the Wii U spooked nintendo so bad that feels can't release either a switch successor or proper upgrade. Going have to happen sooner than latter. Nintendo makes some ambitious games but they are somewhat chained by the switches old hardware at this stage.

@mariomaster96,

So true, and as yet no significant price cut. Run with solely the OLED at £250/ $250 or less, and they will shell them like peas.

Everyone and their grandma probably has one of these by now so that's no surprise. I do wonder how much it will still by the end of its life cycle though!

Time to play the card they've avoided this whole time - drop the price.

Every other system, Xbox and Playstation met the same goals the Switch has hit by having several permanent price cuts.

It's time.
Between this and the slim pickings for first party releases, the writing is on the wall.

If they're smart, new hardware will be announced before the end of the year. or February 2024 direct, at the latest.

Nintendo could do a price cut and revive the Nintendo Selects to prevent the Switch decline in sales or just anounce and release it sucessor.

No new hardware before Q1 2024? Madness.

@Haruki_NLI @Giancarlothomaz
Going by Nintendo's revenue projections for the coming year, there won't be a Switch price drop whatsoever (or if there is, it won't happen until the very end of the fiscal year ala March 2024).

@Haruki_NLI At the rate of global inflation and length of time on the market, Switch has dropped in price, effectively. That said, it may happen. I wouldn't expect much, though. Nintendo will want to keep it relatively high as close to the successor release as possible.

A little discount will help them keep the sales numbers up. They must be able to shave a bit off the price now to get a few more sales or will they not bother until they announce the successor?

@Haruki_NLI Except prices for the Xbox SX and PS5 have actually gone up in price due to rising costs in ICs etc. What Nintendo actually needs is a strong release line-up and the new LoZ will be a good start.

So, turns out this year was going to be the best time to release the new console. Guessing supply chain and other concerns (price/performance) pushed it back more than once, and now there won't be a smooth transition, but a painful one.

Switch has been an amazing success considering all the competition for entertainment. I'm hoping for a super strong release of the successor with Metroid Prime 4 and a new Mario to launch it powerfully.

@CharlieGirl Oh, I hadn't thought of that. They might be tempted to announce at the end of the year. Maybe to protect against people giving in and buying competitor consoles? (too late for me)

The sales forecast could have this built into it... but I feel like the forecast is still pretty high, so I'm not sure about them invoking the Osborne Effect for the Holidays.

Even if the hardware is delayed to later in 2024, I think you are right that early 2024 is the latest they can go to announce.

I always take headlines from him with a grain of salt, he's still mad he (among others) was wrong about new hardware for years, but I would expect this kind of decline for a system as old as Switch. People just act like Nintendo is different because reasons.

Maybe it's because the Switch is my only console, and I only got proper into games when it came out (before that I would just play Pokemon and really casual games like Animal Crossing)

But I'm in no rush for the next console unless it's fully backwards compatible and I can just download all the games I have on the new system by my Nintendo account or something (which is unlikely) I have so many games to play that will probably last me the rest of my life.

Do people just play the first parties on Switch and all the third parties/indies elsewhere or something? granted I might be playing catch up a bit with a lot of ports I never experienced the first time around, but there are literally thousands of games to pick from inbetween big releases.

I know I'm really slow in getting to games but I don't think the first party scene has been bad at all either I do play most of the ones I'm interested in on release but I still have FE Three hopes, Xenoblade 3, and AW still in their shrink wrap on my shelf because I've been to preoccupied with indies and the like. We are days away from the new Zelda, they don't rush their games and that's a good thing, I really thought we would have Odyssey 2 by now, but you just know they are making it the best it can possibly be.

The only thing making me want a new console is the fact that a lot of devs just don't optimize for the Switch very well leading to a lot of games I play just not running well on the system, and if they do run well there are often so many cutbacks that the games look kinda terrible and when I get stuck on something and consult a walkthrough and look at the other versions of the game and how beautiful they are it makes me kinda sad. Of course there are exceptions like Nier Automata and things like that but they are few and far between overall.

Really feel with this in mind that a successor is coming in march 2024

@spottedleaf Yep. Same here. And they are going to make it somewhat a softlaunch (like they did with the Switch) only a few big games (Metroid Prime 4) and a huge title in the holiday season (new Mario game)

I'd love to see a Switch lite price cut. I was recently looking at them thinking I could get one for some family members who don't play video games. Maybe bringing back the Nintendo Selects as someone has mentioned above me. If I was able to get Animal Crossing New Horizons for cheap or as a bundle with a digital code I'd buy it as a gift.

15 million would make it the biggest seventh fiscal year of any console ever. The Switch's sixth fiscal year at 17.97 million units shipped was also the biggest sixth fiscal year of any console.

125 million units with 15 million more expected over the course of the seventh year is crazy considering it’s never had a price drop and has nearly no other functionality other than playing games except YouTube, Hulu, and some anime apps.

If they drop the all three Switch models by $100 when the Switch 2 comes out and leave it on the market for a year or two, it’ll pass PS2 sales. The PS2’s MSRP was eventually lowered to $100 and wasn’t discontinued until the same year the PS4 came out!

I'm sorry but I'm just not in a rush for the next Nintendo console at all. It can wait for next year at least. I mean, I'm obviously not going to complain about a new Nintendo console, but personally I'm just content with my Switch and my backlog at the moment. Let Super Switch come when Nintendo wants it.

@sanderev Sounds very sensible, this playbook worked last time, and with backwards compatibility or enhancements to existing games, it seems like itd be a breeze

cant wait for that 3D mario, my most anticipated game (and its not even announced)

3D mario early on and prime 4 for holiday...

@Nanami_Ataraxia Switch is not my only console , i still love the switch for its quality exclusives, but ports not so much, ports are often a poor shadow of the other versions on other consoles because of the hardware on switch isn't so great which no one is denying, even worst are the cheap attempt at cloud versions on switch to get around the issue. The return on investment for them to fully optimise a proper switch port while doable don't pay off from a business decision because they run better simply on other consoles and sell more from a early release before it came to switch. The reason i have other consoles is mainly because of that and of course games that aren't on switch mostly the fun online multiplayer games - which switch isn't performing well in comparison as its mostly a portable. Other than that if the rumored switch 2 is announced i will pre-order day 1 but it must have backwards compatibility. With 4K/60fps becoming standard in alot of households now including streaming media / gaming I have been on new consoles more for the full console gaming experience.

So to combat a decline in sales Nintendo should give the switch a price drop but I doubt they will

Further sales decline doesn't sound like next generation hardware is releasing this year

@awaltzforvenus that would put them at 140 million still 15 million behind DS and PS2 and they might not even hit that15 million

It’s not “weak” when you apply proper context for how old the system is.

@BTB20 problem is that is not meeting their sales expectations of 18 million which was a 3 million decline from their original sales target of 21 million and all the investors see is sales decline they dont care about "oh this is the highest 6th year console sales ever"

As I commented in the other article I still feel there is plenty of return on the switch. The markets love to push companies to do what they think is right, saying that profits have to be maintained to keep shareholders happy. I think Nintendo are happy to ignore them and release things when they want and until they smash that PS2 target I don't think they will be.

Nintendo, make a Switch Micro (smaller than the lite) for 200 dollars and I will buy 1 or 2.

@spottedleaf I don't think it will have BC, it's going to have a different SoC, not in direct line with the Switch SoC. Which would make it difficult to run Switch games.

Would love to see the Switch hit the milestone passing the PS2 for lifetime sales but if it doesnt happen thats alright too. Loved being a part of the success and being here with all these great games. Cant wait for the backwards compatible next gen console March 8th 2024

Even if we're at the end of Switch's lifetime, it's been a great ride. I've never bought as many games as I've done the past 6 years

Sounds like Nintendo is absolutely doomed then and will be a third party developer by next year. If only they'd have released the Switch Pro and made NSO free with full libraries like all the business experts recommended.

I think Nintendo's next trick will be VR. I think they will make an attempt to pull the rug out from Sony's and Facebook's meager offerings and attempt to make the first mass appeal VR game. I believe it will roll out with Mario - you will play as Mario. It will be revolutionary in the same way Mario 64 was.

@Nanami_Ataraxia In answer to your question "Do people just play the first parties on Switch and all the third parties/indies elsewhere or something?" I still have all my old Nintendo consoles and they're still working but the only ones in current use are my 3DSes and Switch. I also have a laptop and a gaming PC and use the laptop for games that require a mouse, and/or really old games, e.g. SimCity 4. For convenience I have rebought some of my GameCube and Wii games on PC, e.g. Bully, Tales of Symphonia, Resident Evil 4. And then there are some games which I already owned on PC but then for convenience also bought them on 3DS/Switch.

For me it depends on the price and whether a game has controller support on PC. I tend to like bright, colourful games and don't care about photorealistic graphics, so if a third-party game is cheaper on Switch and it runs well then Switch is my first choice.

Even if they're available on PC, I'll buy time management games on Switch because of the touchscreen.

I bought Neon White on Switch instead of PC because of the rampant cheating on the Steam leaderboards.

I'm a bit peculiar too in that I originally played Castlevania games on Nintendo consoles and the association is so strong in my mind that I won't now buy them on Steam because it feels too strange somehow to play them on PC (also the CV games on Steam don't have full controller support). It's the same with Tetris, The World Ends With You, Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons, Rune Factory and Ace Attorney games; I'll always choose them on Switch over PC.

As long as we get TotK, Pikmin 4, and Silksong, I'm super happy with the library of the Switch, even if releases fizzle until Switch 2.
And if we get Metroid Prime 4, it will be perfect.

@Haruki_NLI and they have sold very well, indeed. The strength on those sales, is the price of the console, selling well for 6 years and beyond without a discount is remarkable. I guess they'll indeed make a cut on the price, but not yet. Maybe next year.

People crap on the Wii U generation, but forget that Nintendo had the Wii U AND the 3DS, which combined sold almost 90 million units. The Switch eliminated their handheld division as one device.

Well Nintendo could release more mini consoles like an N64, Gamecube or GBA Classic Edition but since they will hurt the Expansion Pak subscription sales they probably will not.

Remember when they predicted that the switch would have a 10-year life span? It really does seem like they are running out of games to keep it alive... Maybe they will announce their next system soon...

Not sure why people are saying the Switch hasn't had a price drop? It was £280 at launch and is now £255. (Plus, that £280 in 2017 prices is £350 in 2023 prices)

With global inflation and a US recession I think it's time for a price cut and Nintendo Selects. Let this thing go out with a bang. Pretty much everyone who wants a Switch has one by now. Let bring the "multi-Switch household" that Nintendo wanted to life and price in it a way that the outliers who are curious about the Switch can't afford not to buy one. If we're in swan song times lets sing, Nintendo!

With what is basically a non-existent late-2023 lineup (I'm sure there will be some games for the holiday but nothing has been announced), I expect the next system to drop in the Spring of 2024.

My predictions:

Holiday 2023 features a 3D Donkey Kong game from the EAD Tokyo team as the last big game for the system.

Switch Successor launches in the Spring of 2024 with three big games in the launch window = 3D Mario Game, Mario Kart 9, Metroid Prime 4, and Smash coming by the summer.

Nintendo would very likely have a surprise of some kind imo. It's be strange otherwise but I suppose Pikmin 4 alone and maybe finally that Metroid Prime 4 game could fill some of that time....

I do think a Switch 2 will come not many years away now, at most. The question is not this year but the plan for the next 2 year.

I can see a Switch 2 in 2024 or 2025 but even then I could see it wait longer. I do still believe strongly in 2024, or 2025 the latest, anyway. This report imo gives a stronger case in that possibility.

But for now we just have to wait longer before we know anything for certain. This is all guessing as well.

i would hope a new switch will be released next year. i cannot believe nintendo will continue with the current switch and no new one. next year..

@spottedleaf
definitely hoping for full backwards compatibility with the theoretical next gen switch, i imagine it may even end up smoothing out performance on some older games kind of like that the new3ds/ps4pro/ps5 etc does (just by virtue of improve hardware)

am curious to see what the next 3d mario ends up being like and what they end up doing with the more powerful hardware ,maybe even build off what bowsers fury did and have the worlds all part of one big map, seeing landmarks from other worlds in the distance and being able to make your way to them, opening up short cuts and warp pipes, while not going full "open-world" (still have the areas laid out like a Mario game)

I still expect them to announce a new console not long after Zelda launch.. then tell us all the new one has an updated version of Zelda on it.. so we chumps all go out and buy the same game twice.

(Like I did with botw on Wii U, then switch )

@KayFiOS I mean, it will likely have a 10-year lifespan. They won't stop selling Switch when the new one comes out, and it will only have to last 3 more years at that point. (I mean, the Wii survived as the Wii mini all the way through the launch of the Switch)

@Clammy I think Nintendo wishes they could do that and launch it in time for the holidays at the end of the year, but it's not very likely.

It's almost like Nintendo may need to consider a price drop for the first time in their lives. They're like the monkey that reaches through a small hole to grab some fruit but then refuses to let go of the fruit to free his hand. Everyone clambers for a new Switch iteration which would be awesome, but if Nintendo wants to bolster their sales they could drop the price $50-75 per console and it would pick back up for a bit.

@chardir You are very right about inflation and the actual cost coming down while the price remains the same, but at least in the US, the price tag has remained the same since launch in 2017. $299.

There have been brief sales here and there, but Nintendo instead opted to make a higher revenue device, Switch OLED, which totally worked as it has gained momentum and seems to be the most popular model, now.

@KevinP Could go either way.

Thing is, I don't think they are selling to a lot of new customers. So, unless you are making profits on those Switches at the lower price, there's not much reason to lower it because demand is going down, and supply is probably under control.

You might think they want to move the unsold Switch boxes off the shelves (too much supply for demand!), but Nintendo will be selling those for years after the new Switch comes out. Their hardware plans always play the long game.

Also, I'm not sure how Nintendo feels about an ultra-cheap Switch sitting on the shelf next to their new hardware that will probably be higher priced than anyone wants when it launches.

If I'm wrong about selling to new customers, or just how much they overproduced the hardware, all bets are off.

@chardir Inflation doesn't count. You can't talk about only inflation like aging hardware isn't a thing. If you do want to try to justify it using inflation, it still isn't enough of a drop considering the aging hardware. Also, consumers will never see it as a price drop, and while it might be somewhat of a valid point, it's not going to sell units which is the ultimate goal of Nintendo. Consumers see the same price tag and that's the end of it.

@Don Yeah, it doesn't seem likely that there will be new classic minis. I think they transitioned to selling the controller hardware along with subscriptions and that lines the pockets with cash better than limited run hardware people convert into emulators.

I sure would enjoy a little mini N64 and GameCube, though.

Plus, Nintendo should really just keep releasing their old hardware again with quality of life improvements and make them best-in-class. Some people would pay insane amounts of money for them judging from the enthusiast devices out there.

At 125 million units, the Switch is at a level I think no one expected. It's going to take 29 million more units to overtake the DS and 30 million to overtake the PS2. They are projecting that it will sell 15 million units this year. So that takes it up to around 140 million by the end of the year. Then let's say that drops down to 10 million next year and then 7 million the year after. Boom, you become the best selling console of all time.

The fact they are still projecting 15 million units for year number six is insane. That's still a ton of units!

I only see a price drop happening when the next console is launched, which I believe will be late 2024-early 2025.

@KevinP Inflation counts when it raises sharply, especially if pay hasn't caught up. It counts, just fine. $245 in 2017 money would get you a $300 Switch, now. So, it's about a $55 cost difference even without factoring in if your employer has attempted to raise wages/salary that matches inflation.

@aaronsullivan I totally agree that it's a factor, and it certainly counts in many ways. What I mean by my comment is that no consumer is looking at it that way, at least not enough to justify it as a "price drop" in the eyes of a manufacturer who is wanting to move product.

The console is going to be what, 7 years old. The fact they are forecasting 15 million units is pretty amazing.

What a monumental success the switch is, what an achievement, such a great concept that I hope Nintendo stick with whatever way forward, having said that though, it’s not the Nintendo way of just having another of the same with more power and calling it a Switch 2, Nintendo usually like to surprise people, I can’t see it being VR as it’s too expensive for the tech that’s needed to run it, maybe they could improve the controllers and make better haptic feedback?

Does Nintendo think they are so powerful that they can defy Market logic or are they just so inept that they didn't understand what the market saturation point was for the switch? Either way, they should at the very least have had a Switch Successor lined up for a fall reveal and a spring 2024 release date. They would have been in an even better position if they had a switch 2 announcement ready for Summer with a fall 2023 release date. But Nintendo is doing the Nintendo thing and focusing on what they love most; copyright enforcement.

@Dubcheezy That truly is their passion. I think they design games for the sole purpose of enforcing a new IP copyright. At least that's how it comes off. They don't seem like they enjoy their fans very much.

I think we can still see some Remasters between now and the fabled Switch 2. While the Wii U well as run dry (Too soon for a Xenoblade X port and Starfox Zero is probably not worth porting due to its reputation), there's still plenty of Gamecube and maybe Wii stuff that can fill in the gaps till Prime 4.

The switch has been an outstanding console, it managed to bring back the sales and also the third party support that both the Wii and the WiiU lacked, what it has managed to do is nothing short of impressive and even though I would love to see it surpass the PS2 I doubt it can accomplish it just because I don´t see Nintendo cutting the price (even if everyone else knows it´s the right move). I already contributed with the 3 switches I have bought so the rest is up to Nintendo .

Let’s face it , any console in year 7 is not gonna be selling the numbers it was selling previously. The release schedule also not having many huge Nintendo IPs is not gonna help either . Switch 2 2024 , it’s gonna happen ! There’s no way we’re gonna be into year 9-10 before an upgrade

@Lunatic002 up to date on the technical side? What exactly do you mean? This things a dinosaur now.

@NotSoCryptic the comment was pure sarcasm

@Roibeard64 I think they are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

There really isn't anything ot upgrade the switch too. The family of product they need to succeed the switch no longer exists. Tegra is dead. While that family evolved into the Xavier and Orin SOC used in the Jetson Nano line of products, they weren't really intended for use in tablet form factor PC's or consoles like the Switch or Steam Deck. They both use arm based CPU's like the switches Tegra chip on their soc, but it'll introduce certain issues for compatibility of software between the units.

They could switch to AMD, but x86_64 architecture doesn't play nice with ARM software, so you'd need an emulator in that case, but the ryzen line produced is still beefier than a switch with more capability than Xavier and Orin.

So the biggest issues they are facing is what to do about performance? How much to beef the system up and what is Nintendo willing to lose while doing so. Should dock backward compatibility be a thing? the new docks have 4k supporting chipsets last I heard. Do they keep software compatibility or start over? Do they take the chance of licensing a custom Xavier chips to see if adding Ampere support for RTX technology is doable or just try to get a lower spec orin. How well does that compete with the existing 1 year old steamdeck.

People on here down play the deck a lot, but it's clear that both the Deck and the PS5 have had impacts on the Switches bottom line. Which means they can't just set the standard now, they need to compete with the possibility of a Deck 2 and the growing presence of the PS5 doing what the switch can't.

As I stand personally I don't see my self getting a switch 2 at launch like I did the switch. I haven't used the thing as much as I thought I would and the Deck is starting to catch up in miles of usage. So I'm not sure the switch has much of a future.

I’m still guessing a November 2024 release for new hardware…I’m betting there will be a couple game surprises yet for Switch, but would also think that they have at least a couple big games in development for the new hardware.

A few big indie games could really carry things over the next 18 months.

Well, if Nintendo is still sticking to their eight-year life cycle for the Switch then late next year or early 2025 seems to be the most likely time for a successor to be released. I wonder if TOTK took so long in part because they wanted to get it ready for the next system as well.

i expect a year from today a new switch would either have happened or a release date announced sometime next year..

@ianl579 that would be to late it will happen before that time..late spring or early summer..

@kingbk it will not be selling 7 million in 2025 if a new switch comes out next year..

Knew this would happen if they kept being complacent with outdated hardware.

I remember fans telling me "it doesn't need an upgrade, it's still selling great, sales aren't slowing down" and then they tried to act like I was trolling when I said it desperately needs an upgrade or successor before long.

Well here we are, no upgrade or successor, and sales are hitting a real slump, and only going down further.

@Roibeard64 funny, I was thinking the same thing. The Switch is in need of a hardware upgrade. They have an amazing device right now. Be a shame to hold on for so long that you turn people away.

Nintendo should capitalize on the new found momentum generated by the success of the Super Mario movie. A new Mario game would have been ideal at this time but would be almost too busy with TotK releasing shortly. My guess is they announce a successor at the end of 2024, it releases in 2025 Spring. Only 2 years away! 😂

On the real tho, with so many games available and hearing a lot of gamers talk about their massive backlogs…what’s the rush? Those backlogs should keep us busy until the new system drops so really there isn’t much to complain about, just have to be a bit more patient!

@aaronsullivan I hear you. I believe Nintendo have missed their cue now with Zelda and Wii U history will repeat itself.

Having a single platform is a double edged sword... It helps their in house development no end but also means if the new hardware sales tank, this time they will have no option but to go 3rd party.

Zelda: TotK-- One of the last major first party Nintendo releases and potential death knell for the OG Switch. Switch Pro hype should pick up next year.

What? Did they really said no new hardware planned for this fiscal year? I'm really wondering what's holding back the Switch 2. Still deciding the chipset? Still deciding the "new gimmick/innovation"? Worried about how the transition will go? Since chip shortages have been mostly resolved, I doubt it can be anything else besides these three reasons.
Holding it back because the "Switch is still successful" is not a good excuse anymore, frankly it wasn't even before the sales slump. ("Because the Switch is still recent" is a valid one)

I'm wondering how are Nintendo's current relations with third-party developers. It should come as no surprise if many of them want their game on Switch, but can't run it. Seriously, many people want Nintendo to become part of the "current generation" of the gaming industry, which (between the rise of live service games and rising development costs) maybe seem to really need Nintendo's magic right now. There's simply a feeling Nintendo and its fanbase are 'irrelevant" when talking about the big gaming events, and only when there's an indie or a small-scale game coming on that's where the Switch is mentioned. I'm not saying these are bad of course, but Nintendo is still a console holder after all, and one that really loves to surprise everyone. A second-hand company that produces smaller experiences is not the Nintendo I know.

More importantly (and what matters to me) is how Nintendo's developers are doing. What if they are making a game too demanding for the current Switch? What if they want to try new graphical features that their current console can't or hardly can achieve? What if they want to make the best of a "new gimmick"? They are DEFINITELY developing for the next hardware for this reason alone. They can't, and shouldn't, be stuck in one single machine.

It's going to be 3 years since the PS5/XS generation began, yet Nintendo currently sits on a similar position as how 2016 was for the Wii U. Except this time they are successful and do have two big games coming out in the next months. They're even better than how the Wii was on its last years because the next Zelda game looks like an industry-wide innovation.

Why are they not doing a PS2/DS and announce the next console while their current one is still a mainstream success? When the Wii U launched, the Wii's sales already slumped for almost two years straight. But at the end, it's not just about sales, it's also about showing why you are relevant in the circle around you.

Are you kidding me?! I have to wait a whole extra year just to play Mario in (hopefully) 4K? Well, if it wants to beat PS2, then they're gonna have to ditch the basic model in favor of the OLED model, then drop the price on the OLED to $300. Also, if the next console doesn't have backwards compatability, meaning I can't just sell my current Switch, then I might as well go for Xbox or Playstation. Alright, I'm kidding, but still. Please Nintendo. It's already painful enough explaining to myself that I can't have a Switch 2 by Christmas. Make it worth the wait.

I'm deeply satisfied, and impressed with my Switch. Obviously, as soon as a co. gets one product out the door, they are already working on the successor. That being the case, the successor has probably been in development for a long enough time, that it will have hardware that will be considered dated, even if not directly out-of-date. I wouldn't be surprised if it uses the Tegra X2, or another iteration of that tech line. Nintendo knows they can coast on their ip pretty far. Plus, Nintendo's cinch market has always been handhelds (G&W, Gameboy line, Virtual Boy, DS/3DS lines, & Switch; I included VB for completeness, despite being a commercial failure.). Nintendo likely will not sacrifice the next console's ability to be used in some handheld/on-the-go capacity, for the sake of hardware power. Remember, not all global markets are interested in consoles; some prefer handhelds. Another option would be Nintendo going back to having 2 platforms: console, and handheld. However, I believe that they won't go that way, because they would be torpedoing their mobile business.

Actually reading the financials, they predict a further decline in total revenues (not just from dedicated hardware) in 2024. I doubt they would be this pessimistic, especially during a quarterly report meant to be distributed to investors who are interested only in the numbers, if they had any new hardware lined up. We can thus safely count out any Super Switch 2/Pro/what-have-you until Q3 2024 at the absolute earliest.

@CharlieGirl Agreed. They need to announce something while the Switch is still relevant. If they wait too long, some may be motivated to buy the suddenly available next gen consoles.

It’s always strange to me how this is somehow seen as a surprising. At a certain point, you’re going to sell a Switch to everyone who wants a Switch. That’s when they should focus more on software sales, imo. Or a Switch plus or whatever.

If a new system is coming in 2024 we should hear about it by the end of the fiscal year.

It almost feels like the Switch is at that point the 3DS was when they announced the Metroid 2 remake and Luigi's Mansion remake. They were still preaching it was far from over but we all knew the system was on life support. Which blows my mind. With how wildly successful the Switch has been you would think they would have kept the big hitters coming for another few years. 6 years feels far too short when its not unheard of for popular consoles to go for 10. I hate to think that whatever Direct we get this summer will have a last few surprises and that'll be that.
I still believe we won't even hear about a new console until end of 24.

@FredsBodyDouble Yeah, that tracks. For example, as it is right now I'd be more interested in a PS5 than a Switch 2.0.

After all this end, It's understandable.
Still, I just hopes whatever their next console is, it's backwards compatible.