Nintendo rules out Switch price cut for now, despite flagging sales
"We believe that it is entering uncharted territory…"
Nintendo has ruled out a Switch price cut for now despite flagging sales of the console.
In an official Q&A summary posted in English, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa addressed a question about the company's pricing strategy for the Switch, which has so far resisted a price cut since its launch in March 2017.
"As we continue the Nintendo Switch business over the long term, we have tried to preserve the value and prices of both hardware and software as much as possible," reads Furukawa's response. "We do not believe that policy needs to be changed at this point."
Pressure on Nintendo to cut the price of the Switch has grown amid declining sales of the console. While Switch has sold an astonishing 120m units, passing the Game Boy and the PlayStation 4 to become the third best-selling console of all time, sales are down 21 percent year-on-year.
The base Switch model carries an RRP of £299.99, whereas the OLED model has an RRP of £309.99.
Admitting it will be hard to grow Switch sales in the future, Furukawa pointed to the long life of the console, which he said meant it had entered "uncharted territory".
"Nintendo Switch, which will soon enter its seventh year, has sold over 120m units cumulatively, and we believe that it is entering uncharted territory in Nintendo's dedicated video game platform business," he said.
"In this environment, it will not be easy to maintain hardware sales at the same pace as before. For this reason, our new challenge for the seventh year is finding ways to encourage users who are considering new purchases, replacement purchases, and additional purchases to pick up a Nintendo Switch.
"We believe that both new titles and evergreen titles can create opportunities for new users to purchase hardware. Furthermore, maintaining engagement with the hardware can lead to the introduction of new software.
"In December of last year, we saw the highest-ever level of Nintendo Switch engagement, and many consumers continue to play Nintendo Switch. Given the situation, it is important going forward to communicate the appeal of Nintendo Switch through software offerings to consumers considering new purchases, replacement purchases, and additional purchases of the hardware."
Furukawa pointed to the opening of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood and the upcoming release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie as "opportunities for consumers to encounter Nintendo topics in areas outside of the dedicated video game platform". This will help Nintendo "maintain the overall momentum of our business".
While it sounds like the Switch price will remain the same, Nintendo has hiked the price of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in the US, making it the first $70 Switch game. In the UK, the price remains £60.
Do you think Nintendo should cut the price of the Switch? Let us know in the comments.