Despite widespread parts shortages, Nintendo Recently confirmed plans to increase the price of the Nintendo Switch.
Earlier this month, Nintendo did report a 23% drop in Switch sales due to a shortage of semiconductor components, but company president Shuntaro Furukawa has confirmed to Nikkei that the company wants to “avoid pricing” (thanks to NME).
“We do not consider [a price increase] There are two reasons for this at this point,” Furukawa said. “Nintendo has sold over 100 million Switch units to date, and it’s important to maintain momentum in our overall business. Generally speaking, a weaker yen reduces profits on domestic Switch sales. “
Furukawa also talked about the future of Nintendo’s hardware business, but apparently didn’t mention a Switch Pro of any kind. “Nintendo will continue to sell three [Switch] Models: Standard model; Switch Lite with lower price, size and features; and OLED model. We will develop the best strategy. We’re doing our best to source high-quality products at the right price, with an eye toward the years ahead. “
While Furukawa didn’t say whether he believed the company would actually achieve its hardware sales targets, he did say “All I can say is that we’re going to try to keep the sales pace the same. There’s also a boost to the hardware that comes out of the software.”
Nintendo doesn’t currently have any plans to launch any new Switch models this fiscal year, which ends in 2023, but it’s anyone’s guess if there are any.
The latest addition to the Switch hardware lineup is the Nintendo Switch OLED, which launched last October 8. It improves on the Switch in a number of ways, notably the 720p OLED display, and a dock that includes a wired LAN port. Actually built in, not as an extra you have to pay for.
