Nintendo’s cool-looking Switch console is off to an encouraging start. Since its launch on 3 March, Nintendo sold 2.74 million units – more than 2 million it forecasted to ship in March.
The console giant also forecasts sales of 10 million units for the current financial year. From the looks of things, it does look like the console is performing above expectations.
In comparison, the Wii U only managed to sell 760,000 units in its entire lifespan – from April 2016 to March 2017.
In the announcement of its earnings for the final quarter of 2016, Nintendo reported a revenue of JY489 billion yen (USD4.3 billion). It posted an operating profit of JY29.4 billion (USD260 million). While overall sales revenue was down by 3% Y-o-Y, it did record an operating profit of 11%.
The reimagined console
After the flop that was the Wii U, the Nintendo Switch is a refreshing take on a portable console. It’s versatile too, just plug it into your TV via HDMI when you get home and share the fun.
The self-contained party of tricks has attached “Joy-Con” controllers to the main unit that houses a 6.2-inch 720p display.
It packs a custom NVIDIA Tegra SoC (similar to one that powers the NVIDIA Shield), coupled with 32GB of storage.
A 4,310mAh built-in battery gives you enough juice for six hours of gameplay.
Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1 keeps you connected wirelessly. Meanwhile, a USB Type-C port on the tablet, coupled with two USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 port on the dock keeps things sorted on the wired ends.
There’s not a whole lot of Switch games yet, aside from the epic The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8. So, let’s hope games developers and publishers expand the ecosystem.
The Nintendo Switch retails for USD299.99/MYR1,302 in the US. In Malaysia, you’ll be able to pick up a unit bundle (with 1 2 Switch and The Legend of Zelda games) anywhere from MYR2,299 and above.
Source: The Verge
