Coming fresh from Famiboards (via the GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit), the same user who took to drawing a sketch last month of what they claimed to be the upcoming console left a coded message suggesting Nintendo has finalised its launch quantity target for the Switch successor.
While the decoded message doesn't give precise numbers, the user indicates that Nintendo is targeting "roughly 2.5 times the volume from March 2017."
Now, Nintendo reported sales of 2.74 million Switches by the end of March 2017 (it released on 3rd March 2017) and the console was scarce at launch. Using that figure as a guide suggests Nintendo's goal is to ship in the region of 6.85 million units globally in time for launch - whenever that may be.
For comparison's sake, PS4 sold 2.1 million units in its first two weeks on sale, and Sony called PS5 its fastest-selling console after it sold 10 million systems in 249 days (the original Switch took 282 days to reach the same milestone). It's worth remembering that finding a PS5 was a challenge for a very long time - in many markets it was more than a year until you could walk into a store and buy one off the shelf.
For big consoles, demand typically outstrips supply during the launch period and Nintendo is seeking to remedy that and avoid customers having to resort to scalpers with this enormous (and as yet unconfirmed) figure of ∼7 million. Whether the firm will be able to actually sell all those systems at launch is another question. If there's substance to this rumour, however, it's clear that Nintendo intends to be prepared for what could be the biggest console launch ever.
A launch date for the "Switch successor" is currently unknown, although Nintendo plans to reveal the new system before the end of March 2025. The firm announced last month that the system will be backwards compatible with current Switch software.
Latest 'Switch 2' Rumour Suggests Nintendo Is Preparing For An Enormous Launch
Initial shipments could dwarf previous systems
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