Nintendo plans 20 million Switch 2 units

Nintendo has asked suppliers and manufacturing partners to assemble about 20 million Switch 2 consoles in the fiscal year through March 2027, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The reported target is higher than Nintendo’s public guidance issued earlier this month. Nintendo said on May 8 that it expects to sell 16.5 million Switch 2 units in the fiscal year ending March 2027. Bloomberg said the internal production plan is not final and could change depending on demand. ### How far above Nintendo’s public forecast is this? Nintendo’s public forecast calls for 16.5 million Switch 2 sales in the fiscal year ending March 2027, according to the company’s May 8 earnings materials. Bloomberg’s reported production target of 20 million units would put assembly plans roughly 20% above that sales outlook. That gap matters because Nintendo is comparing an internal production plan with an external sales forecast, not making a new official forecast. (bloomberg.com) Bloomberg reported the company has told partners to prepare for higher output, while Nintendo has not publicly revised its 16.5 million-unit target. ### What has Nintendo actually said on the record? (nintendo.co.jp) Nintendo said on May 8 that it expects to sell 16.5 million Switch 2 units in the current fiscal year, which runs through March 31, 2027. Reuters, carried by Channel News Asia, also reported that forecast and said Nintendo expected operating profit to rise 2.7% to 370 billion yen. Nintendo’s investor relations site shows the company had sold 19.86 million Switch 2 units as of March 31, 2026. (bloomberg.com) That figure covers cumulative hardware sales through the end of the previous fiscal year. ### Is this the first time Bloomberg has reported a higher internal target? Bloomberg previously reported in October 2025 that Nintendo had asked suppliers to produce as many as 25 million Switch 2 units by the end of March 2026. (nintendo.co.jp) That earlier report described an aggressive first-year build plan tied to strong early demand for the console. (nintendo.co.jp) By March 31, 2026, Nintendo’s investor relations data showed cumulative Switch 2 hardware sales of 19.86 million units. Bloomberg’s new report points to a lower internal assembly target for the next fiscal year, but one that still sits above Nintendo’s official sales guidance. ### Why would Nintendo build more than it says it will sell? Bloomberg reported that the plan could change with demand, indicating the 20 million figure is an operating target for suppliers rather than a guaranteed shipment number. (bloomberg.com) Companies often keep production capacity above formal guidance to avoid shortages, smooth supply chains and preserve flexibility for holiday demand, though Bloomberg did not cite Nintendo executives making that interpretation. (nintendo.co.jp) CNBC reported on May 8 that Nintendo had already raised Switch 2 prices in response to higher memory costs and still forecast 16.5 million unit sales for the fiscal year ending March 2027. That means the reported production push comes alongside a more cautious public outlook from the company. ### What should readers watch next? (bloomberg.com) March 31, 2027, is the end of the fiscal year covered by both Nintendo’s public sales forecast and Bloomberg’s reported production target. Nintendo’s next earnings updates and any revision to its hardware outlook will show whether the company moves its official forecast closer to the 20 million-unit level Bloomberg reported. (nintendo.co.jp) (cnbc.com)