Nintendo may produce 30 million Switch consoles this fiscal year

Despite its 4th birthday passing by in March, the Nintendo Switch’s popularity doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. According to Nikkei Asia, Nintendo may continue to press hard into the Switch, producing as many as 30 million units this fiscal year.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, Nikkei claims that Nintendo has “approached multiple parts suppliers about accelerating production” of the Switch, ultimately spiking production at 30 million units this fiscal year. It is not clear if all 30 million units will be the base Switch or will include the Switch Lite or the rumored “Switch Pro” that is speculated to launch this year.

One thing that is certain is the financial success of the Switch. As of the end of 2020, the Nintendo Switch had sold 66.34 million units and the Switch Lite had sold 13.53 million units.

If this year’s production goal is met and all of those units are sold, the Switch family would hit 110 million units in total, making the plucky hybrid handheld the 5th best-selling console in history and Nintendo’s best-selling home console of all time.

One reason often cited for the Switch’s success has been the lockdowns instituted by countries across the world in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. Games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons gave people a virtual outlet for social interaction amidst stay-at-home orders. Other factors include the continued scarcity of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, which are still hard to come by due to perpetual chip shortages.

Interestingly, Nintendo’s strategy of outfitting their gaming devices with lackluster hardware rarely seems to hinder sales. The Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and venerable Game Boy families featured devices that used noticeably slower and weaker electronics than those of their respective competitors. Still, each of these families handily outsold said competitors and raked in cash for Nintendo. Despite its now 6-year-old SoC, the Nintendo Switch apparently has a lot of life left in it.

What do you think about Nintendo’s increase in Switch production? Let us know in the comments.

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