Nintendo Lifts Hardware Prices as Switch 2 Sales Reach 19.86 Million
Updated
Updated · GamesIndustry.biz · May 14
Nintendo Lifts Hardware Prices as Switch 2 Sales Reach 19.86 Million
4 articles · Updated · GamesIndustry.biz · May 14
19.86 million Switch 2 units sold since last year's launch, beating Nintendo's initial 15 million forecast and revised 19 million target.
Rising memory and other component costs, foreign-exchange moves and oil prices drove Nintendo to raise hardware prices, with President Shuntaro Furukawa saying the pressures look medium- to long-term rather than temporary.
16.5 million Switch 2 sales are forecast for the next fiscal year, a target Nintendo says reflects current momentum and typical second-year performance for its past game systems.
Animal Crossing's Switch 2 edition with a free update and Pokémon Pokopia helped lift second-half hardware demand, reinforcing Nintendo's strategy of building the install base first and then expanding software sales.
With AI giants consuming vital chips, is Nintendo's hardware-focused business model now fundamentally at risk?
Does Nintendo's price hike signal that AI's needs will now dictate the cost of all consumer technology?