There's no denying that Covid-19 has had a life-changing impact on a lot of the planet, and the video game industry is no exception to its effects. While a huge number of developers have had their games delayed due to the pandemic, some companies have found their sales have skyrocketed over the last year or so as more and more people turn to gaming to see them through the lockdown. Nintendo, for example, has seen a boost in sales of its hybrid Switch console and, as it transpires, a large segment of consumers has been buying more than one.
In a recent report, Nintendo's president, Shuntaro Furukawa, says around one fifth of all sales of the Switch have gone to households that already own one. He said that in the past fiscal year, households looking to have multiple systems accounted for 20% of the 28 million total sales reported since last year. Going forward, Furukawa says the company expects demand for more than one system to increase alongside overall unit sales.
As some may already be aware, the Nintendo Switch reached a milestone recently when figures showed it had sold nearly 85 million units in total. According to reports, sales were up in the company's fiscal year-end results by 81%. Again, this is most likely due to the pandemic in which, overall, the video game industry seems to be booming, at least from a profitable standpoint.
Released in 2017, Furukawa says the console is in the midpoint of its cycle but that he sees there is still a lot of life left in the system. However, in an interview earlier this month, the Nintendo executive also said that a shortage of semiconductors is beginning to affect manufacturing of the Switch. While he was at one point confident that there were enough supplies to continue making them for the foreseeable future, the global technological deficit could see the company struggle to meet demand until semiconductors become readily available again.
There are also rumors that a new version of the Switch may be coming later this year. While Nintendo has yet to confirm details about the new model, sources indicate that this one will have a larger screen and, if it does get made, will likely be out by the time Christmas 2021 comes around. If true, this could explain why Furukawa seems confident that households wanting multiple Switch consoles will only be increasing. That is, of course, if people can get hold of them easily in the near future.
Source: Gamespot