Nintendo has confirmed that it is beginning to wind down development for the original Nintendo Switch, signaling the start of a gradual transition toward its successor, the Nintendo Switch 2. The company revealed the shift during its latest financial results briefing, where it outlined plans to center future game development and hardware strategy around the new platform.
While Nintendo has not yet announced an official retirement date for the original Switch, the company’s comments suggest its long-running hybrid console is entering its final chapter. The move marks the end of an era for a system that helped redefine portable and home gaming when it launched in 2017.
The original Switch’s blend of flexibility and strong game library made it one of the most successful consoles in history, with lifetime sales of over 154 million units. Its accessible design and first-party titles—from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to Animal Crossing: New Horizons—cemented its status as a cultural touchstone.
The transition follows the strong debut of the Nintendo Switch 2, released in June, which has already sold more than 10.36 million units worldwide. Notably, around 84% of those purchases came from existing Switch owners upgrading to the new hardware. While this figure remains small compared to the original console’s lifetime sales, it demonstrates steady adoption and consumer confidence in the next generation.
Despite the focus shift, Nintendo assured players that it will continue selling the original Switch for the time being and will evaluate its ongoing production “based on consumer demand and the business environment.” Several major titles for the original system are still scheduled to arrive before the end of the year, ensuring ongoing support through the transition.
As Nintendo prepares for a full-scale move to its next platform, the Switch 2 will serve as the company’s new flagship, guiding its hardware and software roadmap. Early adopters have praised its updated performance, larger display, and backward compatibility, which make it a natural evolution for the Switch ecosystem.
For current Switch owners, there’s no immediate need to retire their consoles just yet—but the era of new releases built exclusively for the original hardware is clearly nearing its close. The company’s next phase aims to build on nearly a decade of hybrid gaming success while positioning the Switch 2 as the foundation of Nintendo’s future strategy.
