Nintendo warned it may yet increase the cost of its long-anticipated new console, after projecting weaker-than-expected initial sales of the Switch 2.
The Kyoto-based company expects shipments of the Switch 2 to reach 15 million units in the year to March, shy of the 16.8 million average of analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Nintendo forecast annual operating profit of JPY 320 billion ($2.2 billion or roughly Rs. 18,768 crore), also significantly short of estimates. That was despite overwhelming pre-orders for the $450 (roughly Rs. 38,390) gadget and market expectations that the Switch 2 would be the fastest-selling console in history.
Underscoring the uncertainty Nintendo’s grappling with, executives warned they may hike prices for the Switch 2 in the US, depending on how Trump administration tariffs work out. The Japanese company now makes the majority of its gaming devices in China, a target of Washington’s campaign to shake up global trade.
“As for pricing in the US, there is a possibility that adjustments may be made in the future depending on market conditions,” President Shuntaro Furukawa told analysts on a call after the report on Thursday. The company is factoring in a tariff impact of tens of billion yen on profit this year, he added, according to a recording of the call reviewed by Bloomberg News.
Nintendo’s first aim is to match the original Switch’s debut back in 2017, when it sold around 15 million units in its first 10 months, he added, stressing that the figure does not reflect any supply constraints. The company is factoring in many factors beyond just the cost of production and is keen to ensure strong initial momentum for the new platform, Furukawa said.
“These forecasts are probably going to split the Nintendo-watching audience,” said Pelham Smithers, managing director at Japan equity research firm Pelham Smithers Associates. “You will have a good portion who will think management is being cautious, knowing that there’s little upside in being too bullish at this stage. However, you’ll also have a portion that will be concerned that Nintendo may look to keep the Switch 2 in short supply through this fiscal year.”
In his comments to analysts, Furukawa said the company’s goals were not a matter of any supply constraints and it was taking into account the higher hardware price.
Nintendo is gearing up for a once-in-a-decade handover, moving on from the eight-year-old Switch and rekindling growth following years of tepid earnings and waning demand for the original. In the March quarter, Nintendo’s operating profit fell 46 percent to JPY 35 billion (roughly Rs. 2,057 crore), concluding a fiscal year in which the company sold 10.8 million Switch consoles and 155.4 million software copies.
The earnings follow surging pre-orders of the Switch 2 that prompted President Shuntaro Furukawa to warn that many consumers won’t be able to get the new console on the release date in Japan, while orders quickly sold out at many US retailers.
What Bloomberg Intelligence Says
Nintendo’s softer-than-expected fiscal 2026 sales and profit guidance vs. consensus is in line with an historically conservative stance, which tariffs probably justify. Positive pre-order trends in Japan, the US and other key markets suggest the company might achieve the 15 million-unit sales goal earlier for its Switch 2 video-game console. The 45 million software-unit goal also seems beatable, with the strong lineup of third-party games — including Cyberpunk 2077 — and in-house ones helping activate or entice upgrades among Nintendo’s 366 million users.
— Nathan Naidu, BI analyst
In any other year, the considerable social media buzz around the Switch 2, along with the console’s pre-order momentum, would suggest rosy sales ahead. But US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and fears that they may force Nintendo to raise prices are denting inventor sentiment.
The company, which produces the bulk of its Switch consoles in China, has lifted the price tag on some Switch 2 accessories and warned customers in the US that prices may rise on other products depending on the tariffs imposed. The Switch 2 is already Nintendo’s most expensive console.
© 2025 Bloomberg LP
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