Nintendo announced that it plans on releasing more Switch consoles for the next fiscal year. It may also make a Switch based on The Legend of Zelda some time in 2023. Nintendo plans on increasing production and then shipping them from Q2 2023. This is due to both the end of the chip shortage and because the company believes demand will remain high. [Thanks, Bloomberg!]
Ever since 2020, a global shortage of semiconductor chips affected over 150 industries, including the video game industry. This lead to companies making less consoles, as well as higher prices in order to make up for the lack of supply. Considering the Switch has been on the market since 2017, Nintendo may lower how many units it makes. According to a market analyst, the Switch’s sales were not too impressive during the holiday season, even though the console was available. This is likely due to the Switch’s age. Consumers may expect a next-gen console on the horizon to replace the Switch.
However, because sales of the Switch increase based on highly anticipated titles (such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons or Splatoon 3), Nintendo may use that to drive its sales and meet its expectations. For example, it could release a special version of the Switch when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom comes out. This is what it did for Splatoon 3 as well.
Nintendo plans on producing and releasing more Nintendo Switch consoles over the next few months of 2023.
