Nintendo Confirms It Will Release Its Next-Gen Console Before 2099

In its second quarter earnings call, Nintendo has stated that it will be releasing a next-gen console before the end of this century. No, that’s not a typo. Nor is it a joke. 

In the report, we learn that 3.83 million Switches and Switch Lites were shipped in this quarter, bumping the total number of consoles shipped to nearly 93 million units. That means it’s overtaken the performance of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and the next target is to surpass the Wii which sold 101 million units in its lifetime. While no estimates were made about the Switch OLED, Mike reckons it is a “premium item worth its asking price” and that more and more players should consider what it’s offering. 

Check out the trailer for Shin Megami Tensei V here, which James called exceptional in his recent review!

With regard to the games, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD shipped 3.6 million units, which is not too shabby. On the other hand, WarioWare: Get It Together! didn’t hit a million sales in its launch month, which is a shame because we absolutely adored it. Also shown in the report is the diversity in age among Switch players, with young children, middle-aged adults and the elderly all interested in the console. This distribution is why Nintendo wants to “balance between new and evergreen titles” in its sales lineup, and likely one of the reasons why we won’t see a next-gen console for some time. 

The original Switch launched in 2017, swiftly becoming an overnight success with The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild becoming synonymous with the platform. Then came the Lite two years afterwards as a lower cost and handheld-only option for players. And now, with the Switch OLED giving customers a bigger screen, better picture performance, 64 GB of storage and that sophisticated monochrome colour palette, Nintendo is sitting comfortably while it waits to ride the impact of the pandemic out. 

Citing the diversification of motives for purchase, the company has taken into account the trends in its consumer base, from the usual one system per household to multiple systems per individual in a certain household. So, it's really a exemplary case in if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And with the headaches that Sony and Microsoft are suffering with the manufacture of next-gen consoles, it's the smart decision to let that conundrum float past while you release N64 and Sega Mega Drive classics on the system.

Topics: Nintendo, Nintendo Switch