Nintendo’s Q1 Switch sales fall 22% to 3.43 million units

Different models of Nintendo Switch are shown off at GameStop in Manhattan, New York, USA on December 7, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

TOKYO, Aug 3 (Reuters) – Japan’s Nintendo Co (7974.T) said on Wednesday that sales of its Switch consoles fell 22% in the April-June quarter from a year earlier, but maintained its forecast. 21 million units sold. Year ending March 2023.

The Kyoto-based gaming company sold 3.43 million consoles in the quarter, down from 4.45 million a year earlier. 23.06 million units were sold last year.

The company behind Super Mario is forecasting its second annual decline in sales of its hybrid home/portable Switch device, which is in its sixth year on the market.

Nintendo unveiled upgraded Switch models with OLED screens last October to spark interest in burn-in systems.

Console makers have been grappling with supply chain disruptions, with Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa pointing to persistent component shortages in May.

Operating profit fell 15 percent to 101.6 billion yen ($763 million) in the first quarter, missing analysts’ expectations.

Investors are looking for signs that the gaming spree is easing for consumers stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sony Group (6758.T) last week reported a 15% drop in PlayStation user engagement compared with a year earlier.

Upcoming Nintendo games to meet the key year-end shopping season include Splatoon 3 in September and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in November.

(1 USD = 133.2100 yen)

Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Tomasz Janowski

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