Nintendo is to increase production of the Switch in order to meet demand this fiscal year. The Japanese gaming giant will manufacture a whopping 30 million Switch units, which is the highest production volume in the console's history.
Why is Nintendo producing so many Switch consoles?
According to Nikkei, Nintendo has approached "multiple parts suppliers" with an intent to expand production. Nikkei also cites "people with direct knowledge of the matter", who have verified Nintendo's plans. The production ramp-up is being effected in order to meet high demand, which has likely remained at that level thanks to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced many to stay at home. This news comes after the Japanese company expanded production of the Switch late last year, with a new Malaysian factory now also manufacturing consoles.
Despite this decision, Nintendo is warning gamers it might still be hard to get hold of a Switch. An ongoing chip shortage, which has affected tech companies from Nvidia to Microsoft and beyond, means there could be future issues with picking up the hybrid console. Back in February, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said in February that there's a possibility of "certain products [being] in short supply, especially in Japan". That shouldn't affect this run of production, though. Furukawa says Nintendo has acquired enough components to keep making Switch consoles for now.
What's next for the Nintendo Switch?
For a while, rumors have been floating around that Nintendo is working on a new, updated Switch model. This hypothetical new model would have greater graphical capabilities and performance than the base Switch model or the Switch Lite. It's being referred to as the "Switch Pro", with the improvement in specs resembling that of the New 3DS over the original model. The Nikkei article in which the platform broke the news of the expanded Switch production makes reference to this new model, stating that Nintendo "will release a follow-up Switch model" this fiscal year.
It might not be time to get excited about that just yet, however. There's no concrete source for Nikkei's information, and with the chip shortage Furukawa-san mentioned, production of a new, more powerful console might not be possible. We'll have to wait and see what Nintendo announces. In the meantime, however, there's still plenty to look forward to on your Switch. The year has started off strong with New Pokemon Snap and Monster Hunter Rise, and there's still Monster Hunter Stories 2, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl to look forward to. It's a good time to be a Switch owner for sure.
Will you be picking up a Switch this year? Would you buy an updated model? Let us know in the comments below!
