Nintendo Switch boosts Nvidia revenues by up to $192m

Nvidia's latest financial report reveals that demand for the Nintendo Switch has contributed to its growth over the past three months.

In the firm's Q1 report for the 2018 fiscal year, the graphics chip manufacturer reports revenues for its Tegra processor rose to $332m - more than double the results seen in the same period last year, and up by 29% from the previous quarter.

While the Tegra is used in a number of games products, including Nvidia's own Shield tablets, it is notable for being the heart of Nintendo's new Switch console.

However, just under half of the Tegra revenues ($140m) were attributed to the automotive industry "primarily from infotainment modules", encompassing in-car DVD and media players as well as the more advanced heads-up displays. That means the maximum contribution Switch has made to Nvidia's revenues is $192m.

First quarter revenues for the whole of Nvidia's business was reported as $1.94bn, a year-on-year increase of 48% but a drop of 11% since the previous quarter. The bulk of the firm's revenues still stem from its GPU business.

However, revenues for the Tegra can be expected to increase over the next few quarters as Nintendo ramps up production of the Switch to meet demand. With the new console's first and crucial Christmas on the horizon, the platform holder will no doubt wish to avoid the shortages reported at launch.

Nintendo Switch sold more than 2.74m units worldwide in March alone, with president Tatsumi Kimishima keen to ship 10m units as soon as possible. He recently declared the company hopes to increase the installed base for Switch to over 100m, rivalling the platform holder's most successful console - the Nintendo Wii.