Nintendo’s president, Shuntaro Furukawa, announced on Wednesday that software from the company’s Switch console will be compatible with its upcoming successor device. While specific details about the new hardware are yet to be revealed, Nintendo has confirmed plans to announce the device during the current financial year, which ends in March 2025.
Furukawa highlighted that Nintendo Switch remains popular among a broad customer base, prompting the decision to support backwards compatibility on the upcoming console. He explained that allowing players to enjoy their existing Switch games on the new device will let them continue engaging with their current library while exploring Nintendo’s existing lineup of titles.
This move toward backwards compatibility aims to ease the transition for customers while potentially boosting interest in Nintendo’s software catalog. According to Serkan Toto, founder of Kantan Games consultancy, this development, while expected, might indicate that the next device will share similarities with the current Switch model.
Now in its eighth year on the market, the Nintendo Switch has an install base exceeding 145 million units, with over 1.3 billion software units sold. The company has successfully prolonged the lifecycle of the hybrid console with a steady stream of popular titles and hardware updates. However, Nintendo recently reduced its full-year hardware sales forecast by 7%, aiming for 12.5 million units, amid signs of saturation in key markets.
Despite this slowdown in hardware sales, software sales have gained momentum. In the second quarter ending in September, Nintendo reported 39.6 million software units sold—a 29% increase from the previous quarter. Jefferies analyst Atul Goyal noted this growth trend, projecting further software sales increases for the third quarter.
Following these announcements, Nintendo’s shares rose 6% in Tokyo, outperforming the Nikkei 225 benchmark index, which saw a 3% gain.
Featured image courtesy of The Japan Times
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