Nintendo says it’s not planning Switch price cuts as its console business ‘enters uncharted territory’
Nintendo has said it’s not currently planning to cut Switch hardware or software prices in a bid to help it navigate “uncharted territory” in its console business.
The company announced this week that Switch shipments had reached 122.55 million units as of December 2022, a feat only bettered by its Nintendo DS handheld (154.02 million) and Sony’s PlayStation 2 (155 million).
However, Nintendo also said it now expects Switch hardware sales for the current fiscal year ending in March to total 18 million (down from 23 million units a year earlier and 28.8 million the year before that).
Given the downward trend as Switch prepares to enter its seventh year on the market in March, during a financial results briefing this week Nintendo was asked what its vision for the future lifecycle of the console is.
In his response, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa admitted it would be tough to continue selling the console at previous levels, but that price cuts aren’t a solution it’s currently considering.
”We believe that we are now entering uncharted territory within our dedicated game console business,” he said (translated by VGC contributor Robert Sephazon). “Within this environment, it will not be easy to sell hardware at the same pace as before.
“As a result, we realise that our new challenge will be convincing consumers who are considering new purchases, replacement purchases, or additional purchases to pick up the Nintendo Switch.”
With the company yet to announce a Switch successor, Furukawa said Nintendo aims to grow the console’s user base by continuing to support it with both new and classic games.
“Regarding hardware, we believe that there will be opportunities for new customers to purchase our products by proposing both new and
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