The only major shakeup to Nintendo's present day flagship console since its release nearly three years ago has been the addition of the Switch Lite alternative to the base console. Unlike the regular Switch, which includes deꦐtachable controllers that, in part, allow games to be played on a TV screen, the Swit💎ch Lite is a cheaper, handheld-only device with non-detachable controllers. Weaker though it may be, the Switch Lite has, by all accounts, sold very well. During a meeting with the company's investors, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa recently for the future of the Switch Lite.
Explaining its success, Furukawa cited a statistic that Switch Lite consoles purchased during last year's holiday season were largely "second Switch" consoles, meaning that they were bought for or by existing Switch owners who wanted a dedicated handheld system in addition to their regular Switch. As long as a user has a Nintendo Online account, which is necessary for cloud saves, sharing🌳 save data between to Switch consoles is possible, meaning that in these cases, one Switch can remain permanently connected to a TV and the other exclusively played out and about.
In total, "second Switch" purchases accounted for an estimated 43% of Switch Lite sales during last year's holiday season, while the perceꦜntage of all-time Switch Lite sales is estimated to be closer to 30%. Incidentally, Furukawa also notes that a 💃high percentage of first-time Switch buyers who choose to start with the Switch Lite are women.
He also cites Pokémon Sword and Shield as big drivers of Switch Lite sales. While Pokémon Sword and Shield are notable for being the first Pokémon games playable on a big screen (GameCube Game Boy player excepted), Pokémon has traditionally been a handheld franchise, and sometimes it's hard to shake tradition. Last year's Zelda: Link's Awakening is🎀 similarly a big screen remaster of a handheld classic that drove Switch Lite sales itself.
For these𝄹 and other reasons, Furukawa explains, Nintendo will continue to focus on promoting the Switch Lite. While the regular Switch will remain the company's primary focus, Furukawa specified, the Switch Lite is not an afterthought but a bona fide priority for the company.
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