Analysts Expect More Switch Sales than PS5 and Xbox Series in 2021

GAMEFINITY.ID, Jakarta – Some analysts predict the Nintendo Switch will remain the best-selling console of 2021, even though two of its competitors, Sony and Microsoft have launched the next generation of consoles, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S. Quoted from GamesIndustry.biz, Monday (4/1/2021) three Industry observers predict that Nintendo’s platform, which is almost four years old, will sell more than the PS5 and Xbox Series due to the limited stock of the two next-generation consoles since their launch in November 2021.

Two analysts, Piers Harding-Rolls Ampere Analysis and Dr. Serkan Toto of Kantan Games, also predicts that the new Switch model will help drive strong sales for Nintendo this year. Harding-Rolls estimates the Switch will sell around 24 million units this year, just slightly off the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S sales of around 25 million combined.

“My expectation is that the Nintendo Switch will be the best-selling console again in 2021 after a very strong 2021 performance. It makes more commercial sense to release an updated version in 2021,” said Harding-Rolls.

Kantan Games’ Toto predicts Nintendo will launch an upgraded “4K” Switch model during the next financial year, starting in April 2021.

“Everyone who predicted the Switch would run out of steam in 2021 will experience bitter disappointment. The Switch will be the best-selling console of the year, driven by more first-party games, hardware refreshes, and devices that have evolved into lifestyle products for the mass market during 2021.”

Mat Piscatella of NPD Group also predicts Nintendo Switch will still be at the top in 2021. This is in line with Nintendo’s content and promotional efforts. Several outlets have reported that Nintendo is gearing up to launch a new Switch in early 2021 and it may feature increased computing power and support for 4K graphics, which it is touting as the “Switch Pro”.

Previously, in an interview with Polygon last month, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser dismissed reports that his company was planning a Switch overhaul in the near future. According to Doug, his company will take advantage of the momentum with the current model.

“First, we always look at technology. As we know, technology is constantly evolving and changing. We always see what’s coming to determine: How to improve the gaming experience? Whether it’s on the current platform, or on the platform of the future, we’re always looking at that,” said Doug Bowser.

Despite entering its fourth year, Doug Bowser believes the momentum on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite is still strong. Bowser is optimistic that the Switch is still “in the middle” of its life cycle, aka it has not yet reached its peak and will not experience a decline. Nintendo said last September that the Switch, which was launched in March 2021, had sold more than 68 million units.

“In the future, we will continue to rely on these two platforms (Switch and Switch Lite) and the content that comes with them, because it is the symbiotic relationship that makes the real difference. That’s why the Nintendo Switch is so different.”

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