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Report: Nintendo targets production of 18 million Switch consoles by March 2018

Stepping up production to keep up with demand

Report: Nintendo targets production of 18 million Switch consoles by March 2018

Nintendo aims to manufacture 18 million Switch consoles by the end of March 2018, according to a report.

The Financial Times cites “people involved in Nintendo’s hardware supply chain” that the console giant is planning on significantly stepping up production in light of the Switch’s early success.

Nintendo’s initial plan was to produce 10 million units for the year. But in its debut month alone, the system sold 2.74 million units in its first month.

Keeping fans happy

According to "people close to the company”, the increase in production is to help stave off potential “customer tantrums” from consumers who can’t get their hands on the system.

Analyst Hirotoshi Murakami at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley claims that Nintendo could even produce as many as 20 million consoles by March 31st 2018.

One snag to increased production however could be the limited availability of liquid crystal display (LCD) screens.

Nintendo is said to have denied it plans to increase production.

On the back of the Nintendo Switch's early success, shares in the company were recently at their highest since April 2010.

Combined with further ambitions for mobile, Nintendo could be set to hit the highs of the Wii era.


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Craig Chapple is a freelance analyst, consultant and writer with specialist knowledge of the games industry. He has previously served as Senior Editor at PocketGamer.biz, as well as holding roles at Sensor Tower, Nintendo and Develop.