Semiconductor shortage may impact Switch production goals, says Nintendo president
Nintendo is considering the possibility that it may not be able to meet its projected sales goal of Nintendo Switch systems this year. This isn't due to a lack of consumer interest, but rather the possible inability to produce enough Switch consoles because of the worldwide lack of semiconductors. During a press conference, Nintendo of Japan's president, Shuntaro Furukawa, stated that the company is doing everything it can, but there's rising uncertainty regarding their fiscal year plans being able to be met while the shortage is still ongoing. The projected shipment of 25.50 million units before March 2022 is still on track, but Furukawa implied Nintendo may have to revise those numbers if they run into issues sourcing the parts.
Last year, Nintendo sold a total of 28.83 million Switch systems, with Furukawa crediting the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic for most of those sales. In 2019, it had been predicted that Nintendo would sell around 19.5 million units, which turned out to be greatly surpassed. Even so, Furukawa says that 25.50 million is a high number compared to previous years, especially with the Switch having hit its fourth anniversary just recently.
Source (translation courtesy of VGC)
