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With the Switch beginning its 7th year of existence, many fans are wondering what Nintendo is going to follow up the system with. There’s no doubt Nintendo will bring out another round of gaming hardware, a their president has confirmed that projects are underway.

In a Nintendo investor Q&A, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa opened up about where the Switch is at now, and where Nintendo will go in the future with hardware. While Furukawa wasn’t willing to share specifics, he did note that Nintendo is exploring some innovative and unique ideas. That said, the focus for the time being is squarely on Switch and its players.

You can see a translation of Furukawa’s comments below, as provided by VGC and Robert Sephazon.

“The growth rate of our annual active player base has begun to level off compared to what it was 3-4 years ago. We believe our next step is to focus on keeping high user activity while also attracting new users.

The lifecycle of a console is often based on the timing of major game releases, and therefore affects our continued commitment to software production. Moreover, we find it essential to continue providing new opportunities for customers to engage with the Nintendo Switch, beyond just the launch of new games.

We don’t believe that a secure number of annual active users negates the need for a next-gen console release. While we’re not at a stage to discuss specifics about a potential next-gen console, we’re continually considering innovative ideas that could offer new and unique experiences. We’re developing a variety of things with that future in mind.

In the event of a future hardware launch, the annual active user numbers will be heavily impacted by the number of hardware units sold. Knowing this, it’s important to maintain a substantial customer base that can enjoy Nintendo’s dedicated gaming systems and ensure that we have a smooth transition to the next generation console.

Nevertheless, at this point, our foremost priority is to maintain and expand the Nintendo Switch, now in its seventh year, and to sustain our business momentum.”

[Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa]

UPDATE - This post has been updated with the official translation of Nintendo’s statement, which you can see in full below.

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Comments (4)

lionk

11M ago

Yeah just keep the Switch around like another pilar (but this time for real). Nevertheless it'll be interesting to see what they'll come up with for the new console.


kuribo

11M ago

I REALLY hope the next system is in the Switch “family”. Hybrid console, backwards compatible, joy-con compatible.


I agree. Maybe make it more powerful, and give the new joy-cons D-pads (for the left one) and better joysticks. A 1080p screen. There's not a lot else I want to change.

Of course, I'm willing to let them surprise me with something new, as long as it's good.


dark weres

11M ago

Sony: "our playstations are designed to have a 10 year lifespan". Playstation 3/4/Vita barely survive 1 year outside of warranty, let alone six years on the market.

Meanwhile Nintendo just silently lets the "Failed" Wii U have a 10+ year lifespan and still supports free online play for it, while the Switch is heading for another 10 year lifespan.