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Nintendo has said the transition to its next console is a “major concern.”
In a investor Q&A session earlier this week (translated by VGC (opens in new tab)), Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa was asked about Nintendo’s eventual transition to its next console. “The question of whether we will be able to just as smoothly transition from the Nintendo Switch to the next generation of hardware is a major concern for us,” Furukawa said.
The Nintendo president added that, based on the company’s experiences with the Wii and Nintendo DS, it’s clear one of the obstacles in the imminent future is addressing how to transition to the next console. Furukawa specifically references how to move the Switch’s already massive player base to Nintendo’s next eventual console.
“While we will continue launching new software on the Nintendo Switch, we will also provide services that also use Nintendo Accounts and other IP outside of gaming software. We intend for this to help build a lasting impact with our customers,” Furukawa said, adding that Nintendo would also work to keep players around by building “long-term partnerships” with customers.
It’s clear that Nintendo is focusing on winning the trust of consumers to support the follow-up to the Nintendo Switch. When that might be, however, is not entirely clear – Furukawa and Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser have said in the past that the Nintendo Switch is still roughly in the middle of its overall lifecycle. If this is the case, we could be waiting at least another four years to see the next Nintendo console.
Nintendo Switch sales declined 20% over the past two years due to availability of parts, and Nintendo recently lowered their sales expectations for the console throughout the coming year.