Nintendo forecast doesn't include Switch 2 before April 2025
During an investor call, president Shuntaro Furukawa said he doesn't expect supply issues, but platform holder "[hasn't] yet discussed launch timing"
Nintendo has confirmed that the 13.5 million console units it expects to sell before March 31, 2025 do not include sales of a next-gen Switch.
In the Q&A transcript of this week's earnings call — translated by GamesIndustry.biz — Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa told investors: "The sales forecasts for this period do not include sales of the Nintendo Switch successor device."
He later said that Nintendo "[hasn't] yet discussed launch timing" for the company's next console, but its absence from sales forecasts suggests it is quite possible the device will not be made available during this fiscal year.
Earlier this week, Nintendo's full-year financials predicted a 20% drop in net sales for the twelve months ended March 31, 2025.
The platform holder also said this week that it will announce Nintendo Switch's successor "within this fiscal year" but warned that it will not be mentioned in June's Nintendo Direct.
The acknowledgement that it is not talking about timing for the new device came when asked about Nintendo's plans to meet demand for Switch 2 and prevent scalping, as well as concerns over component shortages.
"As for supply of the Nintendo Switch successor console... at this point we are not seeing semiconductor supply issues like the ones that were happening until the year before last, and we do not anticipate that semiconductor supply will present a major problem for the launch of the console," Furukawa said.
Elsewhere in the call, the Nintendo president confirmed the next model will continue to use the Nintendo Account system employed by the current Switch and Nintendo's mobile games, and that he expects a growing number of customers will buy digital games for the device, although he emphasised the importance of continuing to offer physical versions as well.
He recognised that Nintendo's target of 13.5 million Switch sales during the new fiscal year is "at a somewhat high level" given that the platform is currently in its eighth year, and that it "becomes harder to maintain momentum as time passes."
Nevertheless, he pointed to how Switch sales continue to be "relatively strong" and that it is important for the platform holder to both maintain the momentum for its current console and prepare for the arrival of the next.
When asked if the announcement of Switch's successor will affect sales of the current models, Furukawa said: "While we don’t believe that the announcement of a successor device and spreading information about it will have no impact on Nintendo Switch sales, we intend to maximise sales by maintaining a balance between demand from new customers and demand for additional units [from existing customers].
"The forecast hardware sales of 13.5m units is not one that can be achieved easily, but we have set this projection at the beginning of the period with the intention of challenging ourselves to achieve it."
He also pointed to how the success of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and the boost from The Super Mario Bros Movie helped Nintendo exceed its 15 million unit forecast for the previous fiscal year by over 700,000 units.
"Various measures will be needed to sell Nintendo Switch units in line with our forecast for this year. In the year-end sales season last year, in addition to selling software bundles with hardware, we made suggestions to encourage customers to buy a second Switch console. Through various efforts this year, we intend to bring sales volume to around 13.5m units."
Correction: This article originally suggested the lack of a sales forecast meant Switch's successor would not be released before April 2025. We have amended the article to better reflect Furukawa's statements