Sam Nussey
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Nintendo will launch Switch (NYSE: ) console 2, the successor to the hit Switch device, this year, it said on Thursday.
The Kyoto-based game company did not announce pricing for the new device and said it would provide more details at the Nintendo Direct event on April 2.
The company said that existing Switch software will be able to be used on the new device, although some games may not be fully compatible.
Consumers and investors alike have been waiting for details on the new console, which appears to closely follow the playbook established by the hybrid home portable Switch.
The Switch transformed Nintendo’s fortunes after the poor performance of the Wii U console and sold more than 145 million units.
Nintendo has extended the life cycle of the Switch, which launched in 2017, with hardware refreshes and hit games from franchises such as Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda.
The company, whose shares have risen in anticipation of strong consumer demand for the new device, said it expects to sell 12.5 million units of the aging Switch console in the financial year ending in March.
The Switch is the company’s second best-selling device behind only the handheld Nintendo DS, which sold 154 million units.
Together with the manufacturer of PlayStation Sony (NYSE: ), Japanese companies remain the leading console providers, even as technology like mobile and the cloud offer gaming alternatives.
