Nintendo is reportedly producing another 30 million Switch units during the 2021 fiscal year. These will supposedly run alongside the rumored Nintendo Switch Pro system, which is also said to be releasing this year.
The Switch has seen incredible success since it launched in 2017. The system officially outsold the Nintendo 3DS earlier this year and it has almost certainly outsold the Game Boy Advance in the time since. The Switch has sold nearly 80 million units since launch, but its next milestone is a tricky one, as Nintendo will need to sell at least 20 million more Switch units for it to outsell the Wii.
It seems that Nintendo could be planning on the Switch outstripping the Wii in 2021. According to Nikkei Asia, Nintendo wants to produce another thirty million Switch units in 2021, alongside the initial run of the Switch Pro, which is also rumored to be released in 2021. There is no word regarding how many of these upgraded Switch units will be produced in 2021. The Nintendo Switch faced severe shortages during the pandemic, so Nintendo could be trying to catch up to the demand created throughout 2020.
This report seems to run counter to an official statement made by Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa. According to Furukawa, Nintendo has secured enough components for short-term demand, but there could be Switch shortages in 2021, due to issues acquiring semiconductors. There is also fierce demand for components at the moment, especially coming out of the pandemic. It's possible that Nintendo might not be able to produce 30 million Switch units in the current climate, but is attempting to expand its production capabilities as much as possible.
The idea of the Switch hitting one hundred million sales and beating the Wii doesn't seem so farfetched, but there are other factors at play that could prevent it from happening. The Switch received an incredible sales boost during the pandemic, but lockdowns are gradually easing over the world, and interest in gaming is going to take a hit in the near future. The Switch is also facing stiff competition from the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, which weren't a factor throughout most of last year. 2020 was an amazing year for Nintendo, but it doesn't have any massive titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the cards to carry the Switch in the future, and 2021 might prove to be more of a struggle for the company.
Source: Nikkei Asia