No new Nintendo Switch this year
When the first version of the Switch came on the market in March 2017, opinions were rarely unanimous. ‘This is a world-class console’, although not all functionality worked properly shortly after release. Nobody cared that the small handheld couldn’t compete with big boys like the Playstation 4 and the XBox one X in terms of graphics. Portability and exclusive games made the Switch a must-have. We are now 6 years later, but as yet no view on the Switch 2.
Sales are declining
And that while sales of the Switch (Switch light and OLED) have been declining for a while. Last year we already reported that the figures seemed to be on the return. That trend has indeed continued. Over the past 12 months, Nintendo has sold 22% less of its consoles. Previously, the finger was resolutely pointed to the chip shortage. But it should be clear that the popularity is simply decreasing. Perhaps the upcoming release of the new Legend of Zelda Game can add another Indian summer to the sales figures. Yet the time seems to have come to also provide the console itself with a successor.
No new switch in 2023
There will be no new Switch this year either. That through the mouth of Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, according to Bloomberg. With that, rumors about a new updated version of the old Switch are also buried. The precise wording, that a new Switch is not taken into account in the 2023 fiscal plans, does not seem to be 100% conclusive. However, if a new release is on the agenda, there must be a budget for it. Of course, we continue to hope that 2024 will be the year in which we will see a new Switch, but even that is doubtful.
Nintendo may be concerned about competition from the Steam Deck. The fact that you can play games like Skyrim and The Witcher III on a small handheld console was rather a surprise. We took for granted that things didn’t go so smoothly and that the graphics were heavily downgraded. But the Steam Deck also offers the possibility to play these games, with much less fuss and much more quality. It is not for nothing that many gamers doubt whether they still want to return to the Switch.
Everyone a Switch
Still, the Switch remains popular, mainly because of exclusive games such as Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda. Nintendo is certainly not giving up on the console either. For the time being, production, and therefore also marketing of the device, will remain on the agenda. Furukawa indicates that not only should there be a Switch in every household, but even one per person.
One way they try to do that is with special releases. For example, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet had a release bundle with a console. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will also get such a bundle at launch. The question remains how many people find such bundles so special that they will buy a completely new console for it. I remember from the past that sharing a Playstation with your brother and sister can sometimes lead to quarrels. Still, sharing a console saves at least a small 300 euros.
Or something else?
It’s also not said that there will be a Switch 2. Perhaps the company is already working behind the scenes on a completely new console. Modern game console cycles typically last about six years. Those are already on. If Nintendo does not announce a new Switch again in 2024, then the current Switch will get seriously long teeth. With more than 120 million consoles sold, Nintendo will be able to sit on its laurels for a while, but the redeeming word will have to come someday. Patience remains a virtue, eventually there will always be a new console.
Are you waiting for the new Zelda to come out?
