Nintendo Plans Massive Ramp In Switch Production Due To Stay-At-Home Gaming Boom
However, demand from the COVID-19 stay-at-home crowd has resulted in even stronger demand for both the Switch and the cheaper Switch Lite. As a result, Nintendo could be boosting production of the console for its current fiscal year, which runs March 2021 through March 2022. During that time, Nintendo will produce 30 million Switch consoles, according to a new report from Nikkei Asia.
To put those numbers into perspective, Sony experienced record demand for its PlayStation 5 but has "only" sold roughly 8 million of the consoles since it launched in November 2020. Microsoft has moved an estimated 5 million Xbox Series S/X consoles during the same period. That Nintendo is reportedly increasing production shows that this elder statesman in the gaming console arena still has a lot to offer to gamers of all ages.
Nintendo has sold nearly 84 million Switch consoles since launch, according to VGChartz, and could hit 110 million units by the end of the current fiscal quarter (the Nintendo Wii currently sits. at 101 million units). The Switch is priced at $299, while the Switch Lite sells for just $199. This compares to $299 and $399 for the Xbox Series S and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, respectively. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are pricier still at $499.
All this talk of increased production has people wondering how Nintendo will pull it off considering the global chip shortage. However, Nintendo uses incredibly mature chips like the NVIDIA Tegra X1 in its Switch consoles and claims its current component supply is adequate. However, that doesn't mean that things couldn't change in the future.
"We have experienced higher-than-expected demand this year as well, and there is a possibility that certain products will be in short supply, especially in Japan," said Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa earlier this year.
There are also continued reports that Nintendo is readying a more powerful Switch Pro with a larger 7-inch display (up to from 6.2 inches) that uses OLED technology along with a more performant NVIDIA SoC. The Switch Pro could leverage NVIDIA DLSS technology to boost image fidelity. It is unknown if Nintendo's increased production numbers include the possibility of a 2021 launch for the Switch Pro.
