When Nintendo launched the Switch in 2017, right in the middle of the current console generation, they ensured that they wouldn’t be adhering to the traditional console cycles, and would instead be doing their own thing. And though the Switch is enjoying excellent sales globally, with the PS5 and the Xbox Series X coming up and with Nintendo about to enter its fourth year on the market, it’ll be interesting to see how said non-adherence impacts their sales.
While some might believe that the release of two new significantly more powerful consoles could have a detrimental impact on sales of the Switch (especially since Nintendo says the long-rumoured Switch Pro is not releasing this year), Nintendo themselves are confident that that won’t be the case. Speaking in a recent Q&A (via VGC), Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said that he doesn’t foresee next-gen console releases having any “significant impact” on Switch sales.
“We will explain the specific figures for the next fiscal year in our next fiscal year announcement, but I think there will certainly be a change in the environment as new products of our competitors appear,” he said, before adding that Nintendo doesn’t “believe that the business trends of other companies will have a significant impact on our business.”
Instead, Nintendo wants to leverage the Switch Lite to “maintain the momentum of Nintendo Switch”, while also relying on their software, both current and upcoming.
“In terms of software, in addition to continuously introducing new software, we believe that it will be very important to continue our efforts to sell titles that we have released so far,” Furukawa said, echoing recent a statement by Nintendo about wanting to continue supporting their games with post-launch content.
“We believe that the Nintendo Switch business is now in its fourth year and is just in the middle of its life cycle,” Furukawa added. “Rather than just the next year, I think about things in terms of what to do the following year and the year after that.”
As for what new games Nintendo has planned for this year, as far as confirmed games go, there aren’t many Switch exclusives on the docket so far, beyond Animal Crossing: New Horizons, No More Heroes 3, and Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. Perhaps Bayonetta 3 could launch this year?
Recent rumours have indicated that Nintendo will release a 2D Metroid and Paper Mario this year, while other reports suggest multiple Wii U ports are also inbound (and one of them could be The Wonderful 101). That said, it’s possible that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 doesn’t come out in 2020.
