Nintendo is reportedly set to increase Switch production to 25 million units for the year to satiate escalating demand from consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to “people familiar with the matter.”
The information was first reported by Takashi Mochizuki, a tech reporter for Bloomberg. The game company initially forecasted 19 million units to be sold for the current fiscal year, but the latest quarter’s financial results has exceeded expectations.
The latest entry in the Animal Crossing franchise has helped to fuel desire for the Switch. New Horizons has become the second best-selling game on the platform, selling over 22 million units as of June 30 this year, less than four months since its release on March 20.
Related: Nintendo Switch has sold 61.44 million units, close to overtaking NES’ lifetime sales
The console sold 5.8 million units in the first quarter of the 2020 fiscal year, a year-on-year increase of 166.6 percent. Should the Switch continue selling as well as it did for the rest of the year, it will come out to 23.2 million units, far outstripping Nintendo’s previous target.
The 25 million isn’t set in stone, however. Production partners are expected to build at least 22 million machines for the year, with the number adjusting depending on demand over the rest of the year.
