Nintendo says Switch 2 sales are picking up in the west, not concerned about momentum, “wealth of new titles” on the way

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has shared additional comments about Switch 2 hardware, including performance in the west and the importance of system sellers.

There’s good news about the console’s sales in the west as things have picked up since the start of the year. This started in January with Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and big update, followed by Pokemon Pokopia in March. Furukawa provided that information during a financial results briefing Q&A. 

Nintendo is now forecasting Switch 2 sales of 16.5 million units for the coming fiscal year. However, the company has “no particular concerns regarding this momentum.”

Closing out his comments, Furukawa noted the importance of having system sellers to move fans over from Nintendo Switch 1 to 2. He said that Nintendo has “a wealth of new titles lined up for the Nintendo Switch 2, and we intend to carefully convey the unique appeal of each individual game to ensure that customers can make the transition to the system at a time that suits them best.”

Furukawa noted the following (via machine translation):

“Incidentally, during our third-quarter earnings announcement, we noted that while sales during the year-end holiday season had proceeded favorably in the domestic market, performance in overseas markets – particularly in the U.S. and Europe – had been somewhat softer than anticipated. However, since that time, the launch of Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition in January – alongside a free content update for the original Animal Crossing: New Horizons – served to boost the active user engagement for both the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2.

Furthermore, the Nintendo Switch 2 software title Pokemon Pokopia, released in March, achieved strong sales growth not only in Japan but also in overseas markets, thereby contributing positively to hardware sales as well. Given these circumstances, we believe the Nintendo Switch 2 is well-positioned as it enters its second year.

For the current fiscal year, taking into account our current sales momentum – as well as the sales levels typically observed during the second year of our dedicated game systems in the past – we have set our initial sales forecast at 16.5 million units. As we explained in our financial results briefing materials, the pace of the Nintendo Switch 2’s market penetration is robust – even when compared to that of the original Nintendo Switch – and at this juncture, we have no particular concerns regarding this momentum.

The fact that Pokemon Pokopia contributed to hardware sales served as a fresh reminder that the availability of software titles that make customers say, ‘I want to play this,’ is a crucial factor in encouraging the transition to the Nintendo Switch 2. We have a wealth of new titles lined up for the Nintendo Switch 2, and we intend to carefully convey the unique appeal of each individual game to ensure that customers can make the transition to the system at a time that suits them best. Through this approach, we aim to grow the Nintendo Switch 2’s installed base over the medium to long term, thereby driving increases in both software sales and the number of annual playing users.”

Outside of this, Furukawa also discussed how Nintendo generation Switch 2 sales that “far exceeded” its expectations. Read more about that here.