Pressure Mounts for New Nintendo Console

Pressure keeps growing on Nintendo to unveil a new console.

The Japanese game maker said it saw sales of its Switch device fall during the April-June period. It moved 2.1 million units, when it sold close to double that amount in the same period a year earlier. Nintendo's hybrid home-portable Switch has proven a popular device, but it's aging.

The firm is eking out sales while preparing to launch a successor. An announcement is due on a new console during the current fiscal year.

Nintendo said sales of its aging Switch console almost halved in the April-June first quarter and profit slumped, falling far short of estimates.

The Kyoto-based gaming company sold just 2.1 million units of the Switch, which is in its eighth year, during the quarter but maintained its full-year sales forecast for 13.5 million units.

The company has said it plans to make an announcement about a successor device in the current financial year.

Operating profit tumbled 71% to $365 million, more than a third below analysts' estimates.

Its mobile and intellectual property-related division also had a weak showing with revenue sliding to 14.7 billion yen, down 54% from the same period a year earlier when profit was boosted by the hit "Super Mario Bros." movie.

"Nintendo were too optimistic about the current year," said Serkan Toto, founder of game industry consultancy Kantan Games.

Nintendo has a modest pipeline of titles announced for this year, with upcoming games including "The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom" and "Mario & Luigi: Brothership".

A new "Super Mario" film is due for release in April 2026. The company has also said it would collaborate on a live-action movie of "The Legend of Zelda".

Shares in Nintendo fell 2.3% in Tokyo ahead of the earnings announcement and are up 7.6% year to date.