I also think Switch will be replaced in 2023 and that should tank it’s 2023 sales (under 10m that year)
I also think Switch will be replaced in 2023 and that should tank it’s 2023 sales (under 10m that year)
Very nice. Seems stock are better this week for PS5 and XS.
yo33331 said: And what you want is not gonna happen. I wanted for the PS4 to reach PS2 also. In fact there was a way, however Sony didn't move their finger about it. Nintendo won't do it either. Price cuts are a past thing now. Now in the age of smartphones and when the people learned to change their model/tech after 2 or 3 years this little to no drops of the sales year on year will not happen. |
You're way too pessimistic about it.
The "Age of smartphones" was already back in 2017. Actually, the Age of smartphones ware more a thing in 2017 than now, with market being oversaturated, and people getting tired of smartphones after more than 10 years. In 2020, smartphone sales plummed hard, instead people bought a lot of Nintendo Switches.
PS4's best year was in 2017 with 20 million sales at its fourth year, with the launch of the Slim and the Pro. And then sales started to decline.
The Switch sold 29 million in 2020, and is on its way to sell at least more than 25 million in 2021. It's already on a different path. It has the potential to at least sell another 35-40 million, after 2021, where it should end at 105 million. I don't know if it will reach DS level sales, but thinking it will follow PS4's path and that smartphones will harm Switch's sales is not a good analysis IMO.
It's hard to use history as an indication for future Switch sales because if you look at history, you saw Nintendo's development being split between 2 systems, and then those 2 systems would each get a successor. Essentially juggling 4 systems at one point (like in 2011/2012). Now with the Switch they only have one system to develop for and that system's eventual successor, cutting it down from 4 to 2 near the end of a generation/start of a new one.
What software do you think they'll have ready for a Switch successor if it releases in 2023? Mario Kart & 2D Mario would be big possibilities, but what else could they have? Most of what they released/will release in 2020, 2021 and 2022 probably won't be ready for 2023, 2024 and maybe even 2025. It just feels like they'd be rushing if they release a successor in 2023.
Also, I don't think it make sense when Nintendo keeps talking about extending Switch's life. Feels like Switch should have the longest lifespan for a Nintendo system (from launch to successor's launch) and since PlayStation & Xbox have had 7 years per generation, I think Nintendo should do at least that much in order to keep up.
yo33331 said:
You haven't understand me correctly. I meant that because the age of the smartphones has come, because of it people have began to change devices more often and therefore once the switch 2 comes out, switch 1 sales will die very fast. Just like pretty much every console did in the last 10 years. Of course smarthphones don't directly affect switch's sales. No one doubt that. The switch sold 28M in 2020, not 29. And this year will make 25M at best. but 40M after this year ? no way. The switch successor as the things are going now is coming 2023, and after it launches switch will make no more than 10M. Next year will make something like 15 to 18M at the very best. And that's it. |
So you think despite being already at more than 10 million so far, and ahead of 2020 sales, and with Zelda Skyward Sword, Metroid 5, Pokémon remake and Mario Party, and the OLED model, the Switch will sell less than 2020 ?
yo33331 said:
As how the switch is going under 400k weekly now regularly, and going close to 350K it becomes more and more questionable how many units will sell this year. This year it began very strong for it however with every month the sales become less and less impressive to the point where 350K was PS4 sales territory when it was peak in 2017/2018, which console had 20M peak year, therefore the potential of the switch for 30M for this year becomes more and more unbelievable, and going more like 25M. I think even if the PS5 and XBSX get better stock by the end of the year this also could take some effect on the switch sales, because I am sure now since the launch of those consoles switch gained some new sales because of the hard to find Xbox and PS consoles, cuz some people that want to buy something to play they can't find PS5 or xbox and they take switch. Also see the previous gen, 3DS was doing 13 and 14M per year and in 2014, when PS4 and XB1 got more in stock, the 3DS fell to only 8M for the year. Big drop. Once the PS5 and XBSX got in full stock switch will drop to probably 200-250K per week. So it is more like 50/50 if it will reach #3 by end of this year. And together with the expected switch decline for the next year, switch may do something like 15M next year, so it's not also sure 100% if it will pass PS4 by end of 2022 (which should be around 117M-118M by this time) Also with the disappointing OLED model revealed, as anyone was waiting for the Switch Pro, now surely the sales won't pick up, as they would if there was real Pro model. One more reason why Switch will probably not make more than 25M this year. And also one more reason why Nintendo may launch the successor sooner than expected. So basically you are showing one good way the sales for the system can happen, I will show one other not so good way (but pretty realistic one). by end of 2021 - 100/102M --- To finish the year at only 100M Switch will have to drop to weekly average sales the same as it was in 2018, which was under 200k in non holiday weeks by end of 2022 - 115M After this it is too difficult to predict, cuz they may launch successor after which point switch will just fall of a cliff. just like pretty much every console did in the last few generations, and switch will make no more than 10M total after the successor launch. (and as there are rumors that this Pro model now will become Switch 2 there is a good chance they will not wait much, more like 2023 launch) However if they wait till 2024 switch may reach 125-130M total lifetime, which is still impressive however far far away from the #2 or #1 selling console. And I will just give an example for every optimist here, with the PS4, they are different consoles obviously, and they have different lifecycle however I am giving an example how the PS4 in 2018 was doing 250-300K per week and no one would believe that in 2 years will have these big drops in sales to 8M in 2020 and to 2M(still questionable) this year. Just like the PS4 death was probably the biggest and the worst death out of all consoles, till now this can happen with every other console too (if the manufacturer don't make the right steps). So just never say never, because everything is possible. Even the haters and no sayers in 2018 were saying a little better numbers for the PS4 ahead than they are now. --- In 2018 it was more like 200-250k at this point in the year. But lets translate the PS4 slowdown rate as if 2018 = now for Switch. PS4 sold 7m in first half of that year, which was 38% of the yearly sales, Switch has sold >10.5M in first half, if that's 38% then this years sales should be >27.5M (LTD 104.5M). Then the next 2 years PS4 sales fell by 22% & then 40%, so Switch following the same pattern would mean sales of 21.5M & 12.9M. If Nintendo launch the successor in 2023 Switch will not pass 130M lifetime. |
@SKMBlake It's actually possible for Switch sales in 2021 to be less overall than 2020. Even though it is still ahead of 2020 (barely), it is continuing to lose ground and while I'm sure the Switch will have great sales numbers for Q3, it will likely be below Q3 2020. Q4 2021 should be above Q4 2020, but I don't see it being enough to make up the deficit created by Q2 & Q3 being less.
yo33331 said: Also you projections about the next few years for the switch are even more than optimistic. Now in the age of smartphones and when the people learned to change their model/tech after 2 or 3 years this little to no drops of the sales year on year will not happen. It will be something like 25M this year, and 15M next year, and then the successor launches which will put the switch at something like 6-8M and then 1-2 for its last year. The same happened with PS4, and if there were some other big consoles in the recent years with 100+M sales it probably would be the same. The Wii back in 2010 did the same, from 17M to 11M to 5M in just 2 years, or the DS 20M to 8M to 3M. Or the PS4 now, from 14M to 8M last year, and 2M this year. Switch last big year is this. Next year will be mediocre around 15M. In fact the decline has already started. As I stated in my previous comment Switch was on fire in the beginning of the year and from almost 500K per week now is close to 350K per week, by august it will drop to probably 300K per week. After this it will have boost because of the holiday season however with the full stock of the new consoles by next year, and by reaching more and more the saturation point switch will do around 200-250K per week starting next year. |
15M in 2022 is an unrealistic lowball with how strong its software lineup is already looking for next year.
Wii and DS aren't useful point for comparison as the former is quite unlike the Switch in its trajectory, and Switch is unlikely to be replaced next year (which is what curtailed DS) plus we already know it won't see a Wii-in-2011 style software evaporation just from the fact titles like Pokemon Legends, Splatoon 3, BOTW2, Mario + Rabbits Sparks of Hope, etc are already announced.
yo33331 said:
As I already said, there is a point where games just don't sell more hardware anymore, by next year Switch will be at around 102M or more, therefore the effect from big games coming in 2022 or 2023 will be little to none. |
Even later in a system's life major titles play a key role in maintaining hardware sales momentum by keeping the system relevant and talked about. You don't need to cause a big wave, you only need to keep the train rolling, as has been proven to work in systems with longer lifespans. There's no reason for Switch to suddenly drop to 15 million in 2022.
yo33331 said:
When I was saying the same for the PS4 in 2019 (for the coming years) everyone doubt me. And the decline was so big that neither last of us 2 or ghosts of tshushima saved it. The same will be here. |
Switch is not bound by the patterns of the PS4, it's a totally different system with wider appeal due to its ability to sell to both the mobile and console markets. Switch has already had a year far bigger than any PS4 ever had.
Besides, 2020 was year 7 for the PS4, 2022 will only be Year 5/6 for the Switch.
Last edited by curl-6 - on 11 July 2021