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Preparations for the generation change are underway: Nintendo wants to officially comment on the Nintendo Switch 2 before the end of the current financial year.
In March 2015, Nintendo first communicated about the Nintendo Switch. Now, nine years later, the Japanese video gaming giant is confirming the industry's worst-kept secret: the Switch 2 is coming. There will be a corresponding announcement within the current financial year, which runs until March 2025.
However, no date range for the market launch can be derived from this. Spring 2025 is considered likely, analogous to the first Switch, which came onto the market in March 2017.
Before that, in June, the company is planning another Nintendo Direct edition that will be dedicated to the software innovations of the second half of 2024. Keyword expectation management: Nintendo expressly points out that no information about the Switch successor will appear.
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While fans, industry and investors are preparing for a new generation of consoles, the Nintendo Switch continues to be unimpressed: even by older titles like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Animal Crossing The company continues to sell millions of games quarter after quarter (see list below):
In total, Nintendo sold a further 15.7 million Switch consoles in the 2023/2024 financial year (i.e. from March 2023 to March 2024) – the OLED model accounts for the lion's share of 9.3 million units. Compared to the previous year, there is a decrease of 12.6%. This brings total sales figures to 141.3 million units. For comparison: the predecessor Wii U achieved a tenth of these numbers.
The numbers for the first three months of 2024 (sales through):
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – 19.5 million
- Super Mario Bros Wonder – 12.4 million
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 8.1 million (total: 62 million)
- Nintendo Switch Sports – 3.6 million
- Pikmin 4 – 3.3 million
- Pokémon Scarlet + Violet – 3.3 million (combined)
- Animal Crossing – 3 million (total: 45 million)
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – 3 million (total: 34 million)
- Super Mario RPG – 2.6 million
The digital share is now over 50 percent – and is still well below the values of Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox, but download sales continue to grow clearly at the expense of the module versions.
Among other things, Nintendo is planning for the current second quarter of 2024 (ends until June). Paper Mario (May 23) and Luigi's Mansion 2 (June 27).
Incidentally, Nintendo will not be taking part in Gamescom 2024 from August 21st to 25th in Cologne: The company was the first of the major console manufacturers and game publishers to cancel. Instead, Nintendo is going on a big summer tour throughout Germany this year.
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