Considering the success of the switch, it should come as no surprise to Nintendo that it has no intention of leaving the hardware scene at any time in the near future. At a corporate management briefing, Nintendo confirmed that they are working on new hardware: but when it’s released, they are clearly only ready to say this before 2099.
More precisely, the announcement that their “next gaming system” will be launched in “20XX” shortly. Meaning for some time in this century. Of course, whatever this new system is, there is no doubt that it will be released by the end of the century. We do not fully know why Nintendo decided to be ridiculously vague about the time window for their next console, but this is because they do not want to stick to any date at this point. Chances are their next console is still very early in development, so providing a launch date could be premature.
Nintendo has done a bit of a graphic about their console sales over the years, in which they completely ignored the Wii U. We can’t really blame them, because that console sold only about 13 million units in its entire lifetime. Thankfully, the Wii U’s total failure eventually led to the switch, which sold out in just over ten months.
In other news, 3DS was completely shut down as of last week. At the moment, the only Nintendo systems currently in production are the Switch and Switch Lite. Since Light inevitably fills the role of a unique handheld device, there is not much reason to have a completely different system and texture in the product. It remains to be seen if that will be true as Nintendo faces next-generation competition from other companies.
As of June 30thTh, Nintendo Switch sold 61 million units worldwide. It recently set a new US record for the highest number of dollar sales on any console in history in August. Considering those numbers, considering the fact that Nintendo has exclusive games, you can not enjoy getting Xbox or PlayStation anyway, they never need to do anything to replace the switch.
However, Nintendo is expected to release an improved version of the switch sometime in 2021, so we will definitely not see a new Nintendo console until then. Nintendo consoles generally enjoy a product life of 5-6 years, but Nintendo believes the switch will last even longer, so Nintendo has some time in mind before looking at any new console.
Edward Langley is a contributor to Nintendo-power.com, covering a wide range of topics including news, business, technology, entertainment, lifestyle and current affairs. He focuses on delivering clear, balanced and accessible reporting that helps readers stay informed about important developments and emerging trends. With an emphasis on accuracy, relevance and useful insights, Edward aims to provide engaging stories and practical information that matter to audiences in the UK and beyond.