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Bloomberg: Nintendo Switch Gets Upgraded Model in 2021
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Business news source Bloomberg reported on Monday that Nintendo will release an upgraded Nintendo Switch system with new games in 2021. Though technical specifications "have yet to be finalized," Bloomberg's sources reportedly said that Nintendo "has looked into including more computing power and 4K high-definition graphics."
Games for the upgraded Switch reportedly "would address a wide range of players, from casual gamers seeking small doses of escapism to more devoted fans putting in marathon gaming sessions." Bloomberg noted that Nintendo's "relatively quiet" game release schedule this year relates to the focus on next year's releases.
Nintendo sold 5.68 million Switch units in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, an increase of 166.6% compared to the same quarter in 2019. The company has sold a total of 61.44 million Switch units worldwide. Nintendo also sold 50.43 million software units in the quarter, a 123% increase from the same time last year.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold 10.63 million copies in the quarter, for a total of 22.40 million copies sold worldwide. The game now trails only Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in total first-party game sales for the Switch, with 26.75 million copies sold worldwide. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold 1.97 million copies in the quarter.
Nintendo experienced production delays and shortages of Switch units earlier this year due to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. However, Bloomberg reported earlier this month that the "production bottleneck has largely been resolved."
