OSAKA, Japan— Nintendo Co. is looking to peripherals to lift the sales pace of its Switch videogame console in the product’s second year on the market rather than changing its basic hardware, say people familiar with the company’s plans.
The people familiar said expanded Switch features in the coming year could also include additional network-related features and peripherals to be attached to its USB Type-C port.
But they said changes to the Switch itself—like a smaller version of the machine—were unlikely this year as Nintendo focuses on better manufacturing and shipping of the current model.
In its first year, the Switch was frequently in short supply, and procuring key components remains a challenge.
At an investor briefing in February, Mr. Kimishima, the Nintendo CEO, said he wanted to make the Switch’s product cycle longer than the five-to-six-year span that’s become customary in the videogame console industry. One person familiar with development plans said waiting longer to introduce variations in the hardware would serve that purpose.
