Nintendo declines to comment on latest ‘Switch Pro’ report
Nikkei says company will ramp up production in anticipation for a “higher-end” model
Nintendo has declined to comment on a new Japanese report claiming it’s planning to significantly ramp up Switch production, in anticipation for a new higher-end model.
Nikkei (paywall) reported on Tuesday that Nintendo has asked its manufacturing partners to increase Switch production to 30 million units for this fiscal year, ending March 31, 2022.
The figures would represent Switch’s highest production level to date and an unprecedented increase in a games console’s fifth year since launch.
During the first nine months of its previous fiscal year, which ended in March, Switch shipped 24 million units, according to Nintendo, which represented an increase of more than a third year-on-year.
Nikkei notes that the figures are dependent on developments in the current global semiconductor shortage, which has affected all consumers electronic industries during the pandemic.
“The company has approached a number of parts makers about increasing production,” Nikkei’s report reads.
“Several officials admitted to us that they are considering expanding production. The company is also expected to add a higher-end model with higher image quality, and this will be the first additional model of the Switch since the Nintendo Switch Lite, which was released in September 2019 and made it more portable.”
A spokesperson for Nintendo responded: “There is nothing we can tell you about production numbers and higher-end models.”
With nearly 80 million consoles shipped as of December 31, 2020, Switch looks certain to become Nintendo’s best-selling home console ever.
Nintendo‘s upcoming Switch hardware update – dubbed ‘Switch Pro’ by analysts – will reportedly feature Nvidia’s DLSS technology and an improved screen.
According to a recent Bloomberg report, ‘Switch Pro’ will include a new 7-inch Samsung OLED screen, as opposed to the 6.2-inch and 5.5-inch LCD screens of the current standard model and the Switch Lite respectively.
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Nintendo outlines plans for Switch to overtake Wii’s 100 million sales
In a recent interview, Nintendo’s president provided an update on Switch hardware production, stating that the company had been able to secure enough semiconductors for “immediate” production.
However, speaking to Nikkei (paywall), Shuntaro Furukawa warned that Switch could still experience hardware shortages this year due to significant demand.
“We have been able to secure the necessary materials for the immediate production of semiconductors for switches,” he said. “However, in Japan and other countries, demand has been very strong since the beginning of the year, and there is a possibility of shortages at some retailers in the future.
“It is difficult to say how we will deal with this, but in some cases we may not be able to prepare enough for orders.”
