Nintendo has revised its forecast for Switch sales for this financial year, reducing its projection from 13.5 million units to 12.5 million units. This reflects the console’s eighth year on the market. On November 5, Nintendo lowered its financial forecasts, cutting its sales projection from 1.35 trillion yen to 1.28 trillion yen and its operating profit forecast from 400 billion yen to 360 billion yen.
The company confirmed that the Switch successor will be announced within the current financial year, pointing to an announcement before April. For the second quarter of the financial year (July to September 2024), Nintendo reported 276.7 billion yen ($1.8 billion) in revenue and a net profit of 27.7 billion yen ($182 million). This marks a 17% drop in revenue and a 69% drop in profit compared to the same period last year.
The previous year was particularly strong for Nintendo, driven by successes such as the Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom. Hardware and software sales have also declined.
Nintendo revises financial year projections
Nintendo sold 4.72 million Switch units in the six months ending September 30, down from 6.84 million units sold in the same period last year – a 31% decrease. Software sales dropped nearly 28% year-on-year to 70.28 million units.
Nintendo acknowledged the significant fall in sales, attributing last year’s high figures to the positive impact of the Mario movie, and noting the lack of similar driving factors this year. Nonetheless, Nintendo provided updates on recent game releases: Paper Mario Thousand-Year Door, which launched in May, sold 1.94 million units; Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, released in June, sold 1.57 million units; and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, released in September, reached 2.58 million units. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains a strong performer, adding another 2.31 million units to its total, now at 64.27 million sold.
Looking ahead, Nintendo plans to continue promoting the Switch. “By continuing to convey the appeal of Nintendo Switch, we aim to put not just one system in every home, but several, or even one for every person,” the company stated. They also intend to release new offerings to keep consumers engaged and maximize hardware sales.
Upcoming games include Mario & Luigi: Brothership later this week and Donkey Kong Country Returns HD in January 2025.
