Nintendo revises sales forecast for this financial year, paving the way for Switch 2

The Switch is on the way out, and it's only a matter of time before its successor arrives

Nintendo

Nintendo has released its Q2 financial report for its 2024/25 financial year, which covers from July to the end of September, and with these numbers it’s looking like we might not be waiting too much longer for an update on the Switch 2. 

The financial report revealed that Nintendo Switch console sales are down 31% year-on-year, with the company selling 4.72 million console units throughout the quarter. Software sales were also down almost 30% year-on-year, showing that the Switch is very much on a decline. 

Because of this, Nintendo has revised its forecast for sales of both hardware and software, dropping its Switch console forecast to 12.5 million units and software to 160 million units. It’s a modest decrease, but this adjustment is Nintendo facing the music — the Switch is on the way out, and it’s almost time for the next console. 

It’s no surprise that the Switch has seen a big decline in recent years. The console is almost eight years old at this point, which is longer than most consoles stay in the market before their successors are announced and released. Despite a strong slate of new games in recent months and years – including the excellent The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom – most people who want a Switch already have one, and there’s not a particularly compelling reason to pick up a second one unless you’re sick of sharing with your kids. 

The revisions to the forecasts are also a harbinger of things to come — Nintendo has already said it plans to announce the Switch 2 before April 2025, and with the Switch on a very obvious decline, that might be sooner rather than later. Only Nintendo knows for sure, though, and as always with this company, it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen or when. 

Still, there’s plenty for Switch owners to look forward to. Mario & Luigi: Brothership is just around the corner, with the game set to be released later this week, and Nintendo recently announced a remaster of Xenoblade Chronicles X, something that fans of the series have been asking for since the console’s launch.