Nintendo is set to launch its new console on Thursday, as Japanese multinational video game company aiming to match the blockbusting success of the Switch despite the new gadget’s high price.
Featuring a bigger screen and more processing power, the Switch 2 is an upgrade to its predecessor, which has sold 152 million units since launching in 2017 – making it the third best-selling video game console of all time.
But despite buzz among fans and robust demand for pre-orders, headwinds for Nintendo include uncertainty over US trade tariffs and whether enough people are willing to shell out.
The Switch 2 “is priced relatively high” compared to the original device, company president Shuntaro Furukawa said at a financial results briefing in May.
Sales of the Switch, which can connect to a TV or be played on the go, were boosted by the popularity of games like “Animal Crossing” as a pandemic lockdown pastime.
The Japanese company forecasts it will shift 15 million Switch 2 consoles in the current financial year, roughly equal to the original in the same period after its release.
The new device costs $449.99 in the United States, over a third more than the Switch.
