In recent news, the Nintendo Switch has officially surpassed 111 million units sold! This beats the record for Wii sales (101.63 million) and Game Boy Advance sales (81.51 million). However, overall Switch sales are currently down by 22.9% due to a worldwide shortage of semiconductors. Gaming enthusiasts who are looking forward to the release of the Nintendo Switch Pro will be disappointed to find out that is not happening soon. It has been reported by Bloomberg journalist Takashi Mochizuki that Nintendo will not reveal any new hardware by March 2023, the end of this fiscal year.
The semiconductor shortage has been a global issue for over a year now, affecting many video game companies alike. Japanese outlet Nikkei has interviewed Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa on the matter; it is unclear if the recent hardware announcement was confirmed by Furukawa himself or if it was just a report from Nikkei. Furukawa has stated that “in order to create a single piece of hardware, we have to do a lot of preparation several years in advance, so we are working without stopping.” Instead of pushing out a new gaming console, Nintendo is currently working on building enough Switch units with the components they have already secured.
On the bright side, fans of the Nintendo Switch do not have to worry about the system becoming obsolete in the foreseeable future. Nintendo consoles usually stay relevant for around six to seven years, with the GameCube lasting from 2001 to 2007 and the Wii from 2006 to 2013. The Switch will reach its sixth anniversary next March, but the company believes that the console is “still in the middle phase of its lifestyle.” Plus, many anticipated titles such as Splatoon 3 and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope have yet to be released.
The Nintendo Switch Pro may not have an official release date, but that does not mean this beloved business will cease to amaze its fans.