Nintendo says original Switch will stay a priority, won't focus on Switch 2-only games

Nintendo said this week it will keep the original Switch in its software plans even as it pushes deeper into the Switch 2 cycle. Shuntaro Furukawa, the company’s president, told investors in a May 13 question-and-answer session that Nintendo sees it as “crucial” to sell software across both the Switch and Switch 2 installed bases, according to reports that cited the briefing. (gamespot.com) The comment matters because Nintendo is now balancing a new console launch against one of the largest legacy audiences in games. (nintendolife.com) Nintendo’s investor relations site lists the May 13 briefing Q&A alongside its fiscal-year results materials released on May 8. (nintendo.co.jp) The company’s latest example of that split audience came from *Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream*. Nintendo said about 40% of players for the game are on Switch 2, meaning a majority are still on the original Switch, according to a report citing Nintendo’s briefing remarks. ### Why is Nintendo still talking about the first Switch? Nintendo is still talking about the first Switch because the audience is still there. (gamespot.com) Furukawa said the company would not focus on making Switch 2 games exclusively and would continue to support Switch 1 software sales, GameSpot reported from the investor briefing. (nintendo.co.jp) The original Switch has been on the market since 2017, but Nintendo has not signaled a clean break in the way some console transitions have worked in the past. Instead, the company appears to be framing software as a two-platform business for now, based on Furukawa’s remarks to investors. (nintendolife.com) ### What does the Tomodachi Life number show? The clearest data point Nintendo has surfaced is the player mix for *Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream*. Nintendo said roughly 40% of players are Switch 2 owners, according to Nintendo Life’s report on the briefing, leaving about 60% on the original Switch. (gamespot.com) That figure gives Nintendo a concrete example to use with investors as it explains why Switch 1 still matters in 2026. The game was released as a Nintendo Switch title, and Nintendo presented the player split as evidence that engagement remains broad across both generations, according to the report. (gamespot.com) ### Is Nintendo ruling out Switch 2 exclusives? Nintendo is not ruling out Switch 2 exclusives. Furukawa’s message was that the company will not make exclusives the center of its strategy right now, not that it will stop making them altogether, according to reports on the investor Q&A. (nintendolife.com) Outside reporting this week said Furukawa also told investors that more Switch 2-exclusive titles are planned for the 2026 holiday season. Reuters could not independently verify that specific holiday comment from Nintendo’s English-language investor materials available through search results, but Nintendo’s published IR materials confirm the investor briefing took place on May 13. (nintendolife.com) ### How does this fit Nintendo’s broader 2026 schedule? Nintendo’s investor relations page shows the company is in a regular post-earnings period, with full-year results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026 posted on May 8 and the related Q&A posted on May 13. That timing gives Nintendo room to keep updating investors on hardware and software mix as the year develops. (gamespot.com) The company has already used its May briefing to discuss software strategy, pricing and platform demand, according to multiple reports on the Q&A. ### What should players and investors watch next? June 26 is Nintendo’s next dated corporate checkpoint on its investor calendar, when the company is scheduled to hold its 86th annual general meeting of shareholders. (nintendo.co.jp) Nintendo’s IR calendar lists that meeting as the next major event after the May earnings cycle. Any further detail on Switch 1 support, Switch 2-exclusive software or the company’s release cadence is likely to come through that shareholder meeting, future Nintendo presentations or later IR updates posted on Nintendo’s official site. (nintendo.co.jp 1) (nintendo.co.jp 2) (gamespot.com)