Research firm Omdia forecast on Wednesday that Nintendo will sell 14.7 million units of its new Switch 2 video game console this year, easily surpassing sales when the original console debuted eight years ago.
The forecast reflects analysts’ optimistic outlook for the new portable device. Kyoto-based Nintendo sold more than 13 million units of the original Switch within 12 months of its release. The new console will debut on June 5 with a suggested retail price of $450 (approximately Rs. 38,390).
The Switch 2 offers a higher resolution, a larger screen, and more memory than the original. While its technical specs only match or lag behind rivals such as Valve’s OLED Steam Deck or non-mobile larger consoles, it offers a ton of games of its own.
“I find myself very impressed with Nintendo’s overall strategy,” said Joost van Dreunen, CEO of research firm Aldora, who was initially more cautious about his expectations.
“Technical improvements justify the $450 price point (approximately Rs 38,390),” he said.
Nintendo has not traditionally competed with rival console makers on hardware specifications, which analysts say have raised prices but provided only minor improvements.
Instead, the company relies on games developed in-house that are unique to its devices. The strategy prompted gamers to buy Nintendo consoles in addition to other devices and helped drive sales of the original Switch to more than 150 million units.
Investors expected the game to be a hit, sending Nintendo shares up more than 12% this year.
In a trailer for the new hardware, Nintendo announced upcoming games in the Mario Kart, Kirby, and Donkey Kong franchises.
Omdia game analyst James McWhirter said: “Mario Kart World is the best product Nintendo has ever released.” Its predecessor, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe EditionAccording to Omdia data, half of Switch users own one.
Nintendo has also updated older exclusives, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
“Nintendo products have historically had high cross-ownership and cross-play rates with other device types,” said Mat Piscatella, executive director of gaming at market research firm Circana.
Since Nintendo released the first Switch console in 2017, Valve, Asus and Lenovo Group have developed portable gaming devices priced between $400 and $800. Microsoft has hinted that it may be developing one, possibly offering Xbox games on handheld devices.
Competitors have sold a total of about 6 million handheld devices so far, according to market research firm IDC.
Nintendo may not be able to please everyone by releasing games. After Wednesday’s unveiling, fans complained that the company hadn’t shared information about some of its more popular franchises, including “Animal Crossing,” “Super Smash Bros.” and “Mario.”
“Everything is good for Nintendo in 2025,” McWhorter said. “The question is whether Nintendo can release a blockbuster game every year.”
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