Nintendo to produce 20 million Switch 2 consoles

Nintendo has asked partners and suppliers to assemble about 20 million Switch 2 consoles in the fiscal year ending March 2027, according to a Bloomberg report published on May 22. The reported production plan is higher than Nintendo’s public forecast of 16.5 million Switch 2 sales for the same period, a target the company gave with its earnings outlook earlier this month. Bloomberg said the 20 million figure is not final and could still change with demand. Nintendo Life and Eurogamer both summarized the Bloomberg report on Friday. ### Where does the 20 million number come from? Bloomberg reported on May 22 that Nintendo had asked suppliers to assemble about 20 million Switch 2 units in the year through March 2027, citing people familiar with the matter. Bloomberg said the schedule points to a production plan roughly 20% above the company’s earlier public outlook, though it added that the volume plan could still be revised. (bloomberg.com) Nintendo Life’s May 22 write-up said the reported target was “significantly higher” than Nintendo’s 16.5 million-unit forecast. Eurogamer, also citing Bloomberg, said Nintendo was “ramping up” production ahead of the March 2027 fiscal year-end. ### How does that compare with Nintendo’s own guidance? (bloomberg.com) Nintendo said on May 8 that it expects to sell 16.5 million Switch 2 units in the financial year ending March 2027, according to Reuters and CNBC coverage of the company’s outlook. Reuters reported that the forecast followed sales of 19.9 million Switch 2 units in the fiscal year ended March 31, while CNBC said the company paired that outlook with a Switch 2 price increase in several markets. (nintendolife.com) The gap between a 20 million assembly plan and a 16.5 million sales forecast matters because production and sell-through are not the same measure. Bloomberg described the 20 million figure as an internal assembly target communicated to partners, while Nintendo’s 16.5 million number is its public sales outlook. (channelnewsasia.com) ### What is happening in Japan right now? Famitsu’s latest Japan hardware chart, covering May 11 to May 17, showed Switch 2 hardware sales of 217,922 units, according to Nintendo Everything’s summary. Nintendo Life, citing the same chart, said Switch 2 sales were continuing to spike ahead of an expected price increase in Japan on May 25. (bloomberg.com) Nintendo Life’s software chart for the same week also showed multiple Switch 2 titles in the top 10, including Pokémon Pokopia and Mario Kart World. The chart was presented as evidence of continued momentum in Japan just days before the higher local price takes effect. (nintendoeverything.com) ### What price increase is Nintendo facing? Nintendo said earlier this month that the Switch 2 price in the United States will rise to $499.99 from $449.99 on Sept. 1, CNBC reported on May 8. CNBC also reported that the console’s Japan price will rise to 59,980 yen from 49,980 yen effective May 25. Gematsu separately reported Nintendo’s announcement of global price increases for Switch 2, the original Switch line and Nintendo Switch Online. (nintendolife.com) Bloomberg’s reported production target landed against that backdrop: a company publicly guiding to slower annual sales than the prior year, while also preparing higher prices and, according to Bloomberg, asking suppliers for more units than its formal forecast implies. Bloomberg attributed that to current planning and said the volume could still be adjusted. (cnbc.com) ### What should readers watch next? May 25 is the next concrete date for this story in Japan, when Nintendo’s announced Switch 2 price increase is due to take effect. Sept. 1 is the corresponding date for the U.S. price increase to $499.99, according to CNBC. Nintendo’s next quarterly results will be the clearest official checkpoint for whether its public 16.5 million-unit forecast changes. (cnbc.com) (bloomberg.com)