The Nintendo Switch 2 (or whatever it is called) is likely to be unveiled this month. Reports claim the company is gearing up to showcase the next-gen Nintendo console ahead of its 2025 debut. The hardware is something Nintendo has been working on for a while already. So much so that the company spent $910 million on research and development in its previous fiscal year alone.
According to a financial report, Nintendo’s R&D budget for March 2023 – March 2024 was at an all-time high of 138 billion Yen, or $910 million. In Addition, Nintendo is forecasting another increase in revenue for this current fiscal year even with the slow Switch sales.
There’s been a similar instance in the past with Nintendo ahead of a new product announcement. Back in 2016 before Nintendo debuted the Switch console, the company also reported a record-high R&D spending. The company followed the same pattern ahead of the Switch Lite reveal in 2019 and the Switch OLED reveal in 2021.
However, compared to the Switch Lite and Switch OLED, this latest report shows an increase of $300 million in R&D. A similar spike took place in 2016 ahead of the Switch announcement.
There’s no doubt Nintendo is working on a new console but it is interesting to see how much money the company has spent getting it ready. Much of these costs likely went to console development, game porting and accessories.
The new Nintendo console is being described as an “upgrade” to the Switch and not an entirely new experience. The console will be a portable hybrid and feature backwards compatibility with Switch games. It is also rumoured to include magnetic detachable Joy-Cons while also supporting the current Joy-Cons.
The company is set to debut the hardware before the end of September to coincide with the reveal of the PS5 Pro.
Source: X
