Nintendo is planning to send Nintendo Switch production into overdrive next year, with a plan to roll out up to 30 million units of the hybrid console.
If the plan proceeds, the Nintendo Switch supply shortage will be a thing of the past. The question, however, is whether the number is too ambitious, even for the massively popular device.
Nintendo Switch Production Plans
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, sources claimed that Nintendo Switch production will pick up the pace in the company's next fiscal year, which starts in April 2018.
Nintendo is so confident in the hybrid console that it is planning to roll out 25 million to 30 million units of the Nintendo Switch. The plan is still in its early stages, but the company has already started letting its business partners know that an influx of Nintendo Switch consoles is coming next year.
The report comes just as the console's supply has started showing signs of steadying itself, though Nintendo Switch availability is expected to once again be suspect as the holiday shopping season comes around.
Nintendo Takes A Risky Gamble With The Nintendo Switch
The planned production for the Nintendo Switch will be a huge gamble for Nintendo, though the payoff would also be enormous if it falls into the company's favor.
The Nintendo Switch is expected to beat the lifetime sales of its failed predecessor, the Nintendo Wii U, in just its first year. The Wii U sold only 13.56 million units over its four-year lifetime, while Nintendo recently raised its Nintendo Switch sales forecast for the current fiscal year from 10 million units to 14 million units.
The goal was never about beating the Wii U's sales, however, as that is a low bar. Nintendo is setting its sights on the Nintendo Wii, which sold more than 100 million units. With expected sales of up to 30 million units for just its second year, the Nintendo Switch is being primed to beat the Nintendo Wii.
There is a possibility, however, that no matter how popular the hybrid console currently is, Nintendo might be overconfident. The Nintendo Wii sold 25.94 million units in is second full fiscal year, which is within the range that Nintendo is going for with the Nintendo Switch, but it would be tough to reach that number in today's market.
The Nintendo Switch has been beating the industry-leading PlayStation 4 in monthly sales, but it is unclear if the momentum will carry over next year. In comparison, the current-generation PlayStation 4 only sold 17.7 million in its second full fiscal year, and the PlayStation 2, the best-selling console of all time with over 155 million units sold, only reached 22.52 million units in its best fiscal year, which was about three years after it was launched.
It's either too many Nintendo Switch units will line up the shelves, or it will sell at a record-setting pace. Fans of the hybrid console would bet on the latter, but it's too early to tell what the future holds for the Nintendo Switch.
