Due to lower-than-expected demand for the Switch 2 during the year-end holiday season, particularly in the US, Nintendo has reduced production of the console, according to a media report.
According to a Bloomberg report, Nintendo plans to reduce production of the Nintendo Switch 2. The company intends to manufacture four million consoles in the current quarter. Nintendo had originally planned to produce six million units. The media outlet cites people familiar with the matter as its source. The reduced output rate is set to continue in April. It seems that demand for the console was lower than expected during the year-end holiday season, particularly in the US. It is not believed that the production cut is due to cost pressures from memory chip prices, but rather to slower consumer demand.
Even the recent success of Pokémon Pokopia failed to generate stronger momentum. Nintendo will probably wait and see if other games can boost demand again. However, the production cut is not expected to impact Nintendo's ability to meet the average analyst estimate of around 20 million Switch 2 consoles sold in the fiscal year that ends this March.
Since its market launch in June 2025, Nintendo Switch 2 hardware sales have reached 17.37 million units (as of 31 December 2025). In the Christmas quarter (Q3), 7.01 million Switch 2 consoles were sold, compared to 4.54 million in Q2 and 5.82 million in Q1. The sales forecast for the entire fiscal year (until the end of March 2026) remains at a conservative 19 million, having been raised from 15 million in November.
In addition, there have been unconfirmed Reports (Nikkei) in recent days about a Switch 2 system specifically adapted for the European market with replaceable batteries in both the handheld console and the Joy-Con controllers. Typically, Nintendo only permits the replacement of Switch 2 batteries at authorised service centres. However, in February 2027, the Battery Regulation (Right to Repair) will come into effect in Europe, stipulating that certain battery-powered devices must be designed in a way that enables consumers to easily remove and replace the batteries. Nintendo appears to be preparing for this.
