Nintendo releases Switch 2 console to strong demand
Nintendo Co on Thursday released the Switch 2, its first new gaming console in more than eight years, with robust preorder demand creating optimism the device will boost the company's fortunes.
The Kyoto-based gaming giant expects to sell 15 million units of the device globally in the current business year through March. Nintendo said in April it attracted larger-than-expected preorder interest, with some 2.2 million people in Japan applying for a lottery in hopes of securing one at release.
The successor to the original Switch, released in March 2017, is priced at 49,980 yen ($350) for the Japanese-only version. The multilanguage version of the device is available for 69,980 yen.
The new console includes new features such as screen sharing and voice chat via a built-in microphone. It also features a larger screen with roughly twice the pixel count of the original Switch and supports 4K output on televisions.
Along with the console, the company released the "Mario Kart World" game, its latest installment of the popular racing series.
In Tokyo, dozens of people who won the lottery lined up in the morning before the opening of an electronics store in the Ikebukuro area.
"It's great that players can see each other while playing. I can't wait to go home and play," said Koji Takahashi from Saitama Prefecture, who was first in line after arriving before 6 a.m.
Staff and members of the public try the Nintendo Switch 2 during a launch event at an electronics retailer in Tokyo on Thursday.
Image: AP/Louise Delmotte
Satoshi Ayame was unsuccessful in the lottery but went to the store's release event to get hands-on experience with the long-awaited console. "I took a half-day off because I wanted to try this so bad," the 39-year-old said.
Reflecting the solid interest in the Switch 2, Nintendo said in May that it expects the company's sales for fiscal 2025 to jump 63.1 percent from the previous year to 1.9 trillion yen. President Shuntaro Furukawa said it will increase production of the new device in response to the strong demand.
The Switch has been one of Nintendo's best-performing consoles, with more than 150 million units moved. However, it has seen declining sales in recent years as the hardware aged after peaking at 28.8 million units in fiscal 2020.
© KYODO
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