Nintendo President Shuntaro Furakawa was asked if he thinks the announcement of a "successor to Nintendo Switch" — which was made following the latest finacial report — will affect the momentum of the Switch's current sales.
Responding during the Financial Results Briefing, Furakawa acknowledges that the sales target is high, but that "Nintendo Switch hardware sales remain relatively strong", but that it "is becoming more challenging to maintain momentum as time passes". The company projects that the Switch will shift a further 13.5 million units during FY2025, which is the Switch's eighth year on the market. This figure also doesn't factor in the Switch successor, either, so it's a pretty brave target.
Still, Furakawa remains optimistic about the console's sales, and looks back to the previous year as an indication of how the Switch is still staying on top:
"Even so, during last year's holiday season, many new consumers picked up a Nintendo Switch system for the first time, particularly children and families in markets outside of Japan. We will release new titles this fiscal year and, in addition, many people have watched The Super Mario Bros. Movie through various means since its theatrical release, so with factors like that, we believe we will be able to continue to generate new demand.
Also, there is a large catalog of existing Nintendo Switch games, so if we can effectively convey the appeal of these evergreen titles, we believe we can also pursue the demand for multiple systems in the same household, born from the unique value of Nintendo Switch."
FY2025 might seem lighter on the release front, but the remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Luigi's Mansion 2 HD, and Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition should bring in some decent numbers for the system.
Even with those titles, Furakawa recognises that reaching the projected 13.5 million will be difficult, but it's a challenge the company has set up for itself. However, the company does acknowledge that the Nintendo Switch successor's announcement could affect Switch sales:
"We do not think the announcement of the successor to Nintendo Switch and future related communications will have zero impact on Nintendo Switch sales. However, we hope to maximize sales this fiscal year by maintaining a good balance between new demand and demand for multiple systems. Our hardware sales forecast of 13.5 million units for the fiscal year will not be easily achieved, but with the intention of challenging ourselves, we have set this number as the initial fiscal year guidance."