According to a new Q&A with executives at Nintendo, fans and investors questioning the continued viability of the now 7-year-old Switch can rest assured: there are plans to continue releasing titles on the gaming platform, even after the May 12, 2023 arrival of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Despite the Switch achieving such hallmarks of success as outselling the Game Boy and being named the best-selling console in the US for 2022, rumors of a new console debuting from Nintendo have been buzzing among hopeful fans. Nintendo's investors seem also to have been hoping for news on this front. Their concerns lie chiefly in the console's age: for comparison, the GameCube (2001) released five years after the Nintendo 64 (1996). There were but 3 years between the release of the Game Boy Advance (2001) and the first Nintendo DS (2004). With seven years passing since the Switch's 2016 debut, questions have naturally arisen about what, if anything, is next for the console.
Following an optimistic Q3 financial report for fiscal year 2023 being made public, Nintendo addresses concerns about the Switch in a February 7th question and answer session with Shuntaro Furukawa (Representative Director and President) and Hajime Murakami (Executive Officer). In it, executives indicated that they "are seeing both new demand and multiple system demand for the [Switch], so we think there is still room for growth in sales." Furukawa doubles down on this notion, stating that "several new titles, including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are scheduled for release next fiscal year." Known to be tight-lipped and strategic about their timing, no additional explicit titles were announced.
While some Nintendo gamers may be itching to dig into a new console, current Switch owners are sure to celebrate access to the latest content without needing to prepare for a big purchase. Between the investment made in the Switch's blockbuster titles - the upcoming Tears of The Kingdom will hit shelves at $70- and the paid subscriptions necessary to access certain content, gamers' costs add up. A new console would probably debut with specs that may justify a higher asking price.
However, Nintendo seems to be leaning in to the Switch's evergreen allure. With the 2018 launch of Nintendo Switch Online, the console opened its doors to a vast number of nostalgic fans of yesterday's consoles and titles. Tears of the Kingdom itself is accepting the baton from 37 powerful years of Nintendo's genre-defining Zelda titles. Its consoles historically have performed for as long as 20 years in some cases. Given Furukawa refers to maintaining engagement around the Switch seven years into its run as "uncharted territory", this may be Nintendo's way of taking pride in the console's sustained appeal.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will release May 12, 2023 on Nintendo Switch.
Source: Nintendo (via Nintendo Life)
