In a new interview with Nikkei, Shuntaro Furukawa was asked if the lifecycle of the Switch could be expanded further than the six and a half years it’s already been on sale.
Furukawa replied that Nintendo would continue to focus on the Switch until the end of the current fiscal year ending March 2024, and would continue to support the console with software in the following fiscal year ending March 2025.
“We are still working on software for the Switch for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025,” Furukawa said.
“In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, we hope to sustain the momentum of Zelda and the [Super Mario Bros] movie, with focus on the holiday sales season. As for hardware, we will maximize not only new demand for the hardware, but also for those buying second consoles and replacements.”
Currently, Princess Peach Showtime is due for release on Switch in March 2024, right before the end of the fiscal year. The only known Switch games set to release after this are Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door.
Nintendo is yet to officially comment on plans for its next console. However, according to VGC sources, the company has dispatched Switch 2 development kits to key partners, with a launch planned for the second half of 2024.
The platform holder also showed off tech demos for its Switch successor behind closed doors at Gamescom, it’s understood.
The release of the Switch’s successor naturally doesn’t mean support for the Switch will immediately end. Nintendo continued to support the 3DS with software after the launch of the Switch.
Following the Switch’s release in March 2017, Nintendo published a further 24 retail games for the 3DS, including Metroid: Samus Returns, Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga, Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Detective Pikachu, WarioWare Gold, Luigi’s Mansion and Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story.
The last game it published for the 3DS, Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn, was released in March 2019, two years after the Switch’s launch.
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Source: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/nintendos-president-says-it-will-continue-to-support-switch-next-year/
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