According to Mashable, Nintendo announced in its latest financial earnings report that it’s shifting primary development focus to the Nintendo Switch 2, effectively retiring the original Switch after nearly nine years. The original console launched way back in March 2017 and has sold over 150 million units worldwide. The Switch 2, which launched just this past June, has already surpassed 10 million units sold thanks to hit launch titles like Mario Kart World and Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Nintendo confirmed this strategic pivot in its earnings report, stating they’ll expand business around the new platform. While the original Switch hardware isn’t being discontinued immediately, this marks the beginning of the end for one of gaming’s most successful consoles.
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The inevitable business shift
Here’s the thing – this move was always coming. The original Switch hardware is ancient by tech standards, and Nintendo’s new console is performing exceptionally well. Selling 10 million Switch 2 units in just a few months is massive momentum, and Nintendo would be crazy not to ride that wave. But they’re being smart about the transition – they’re not pulling the plug overnight on a platform with 150 million active users. Some upcoming games like Metroid Prime 4 and Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream are still coming to the original Switch. That’s just good business sense when you’ve got that massive installed base.
Why now though?
So why pull the trigger on this announcement now? The Switch 2’s runaway success probably accelerated things. When your new product is flying off shelves that fast, you don’t wait around. You double down. And let’s be real – developing for two significantly different hardware platforms simultaneously is expensive and complicated. Nintendo’s basically saying “We’ve got a winner here, so we’re going all in.” It’s a classic platform transition strategy, but they’re executing it more gracefully than most companies manage.
What this means for gamers
For current Switch owners, don’t panic. Your console isn’t turning into a brick tomorrow. Nintendo will likely continue some level of support for a while, especially for that massive 150 million user base. But the writing is on the wall – the exciting new games, the big system updates, the marquee Nintendo experiences? Those are increasingly going to be Switch 2 exclusives. It’s the natural lifecycle of any gaming platform, even one as legendary as the original Switch. The console had an incredible nearly nine-year run that redefined hybrid gaming. Now it’s time for the next generation to take center stage.
