Nintendo is planning about 20 million Nintendo Switch 2 console units through March 2027. It has internally asked for production that exceeds its official sales outlook of 16.5 million units.

Online media outlet Gigazine reported on May 25 that the figure is seen as a pre-emptive production move that takes into account upcoming game releases and potential changes in demand.

Nintendo presented a conservative forecast last May of 16.5 million units in expected sales for fiscal 2027. Supply chain partners were asked to assemble at a larger scale. Officials explained that the plan is not final and could be adjusted depending on market demand.

Bloomberg said Nintendo has maintained a practice of issuing conservative earnings forecasts early in the fiscal year and later posting results that exceed them. It said Nintendo's Switch 2 sales forecast of 15 million units announced in 2025 was ultimately tallied at 19.86 million units.

Early sales momentum for the Nintendo Switch 2 was positive. It sold 10.36 million units within four months of its launch in June 2025 and was also named the best-selling game console in the United States. Demand in the U.S. market slowed in 2026, prompting practical adjustments such as a price increase. Any expansion in hardware sales is expected to depend heavily on the success of new titles and a recovery in the U.S. market.

Software sales are also cited as a variable. Bloomberg said the Nintendo Switch 2 is not selling as much game software as the original Nintendo Switch did early on and that it needs a major hit like the original Switch title "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild". It said securing a killer title is important to expand hardware sales.

Some in the market see the potential for sales above the official forecast. Games industry analyst Serkan Toto said consumers would eventually get used to price increases and that Nintendo has creative ways to reduce the burden on consumers, such as bundled sales. He forecast Switch 2 sales of 18 million units for the current fiscal year and said it would not be surprising if actual sales exceeded that.

As a result, the 20 million-unit assembly request is seen as a signal that Nintendo is preparing internally for the possibility of higher demand while keeping conservative figures in its official sales guidance. Key points to watch are whether demand rebounds after the price increase, the performance of new game titles and sales momentum in the U.S. market.