Nintendo hikes Switch sales forecast to 15.5 million units

Nintendo hikes Switch sales forecast to 15.5 million units

Nintendo on Tuesday raised its full-year Switch sales forecast to 15.5 million units from 15 million units previously.

The Kyoto-based gaming company sold 13.74 million Switch units in the first nine months of the financial year.

That compared with sales of 14.91 million units in the same period a year earlier.

With the hybrid home-portable Switch nearing its eighth year on the market, expectations are rising that Nintendo will release new hardware this year.

The lifecycle of the Switch has been extended by a string of hits such as "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom", which launched last May, and "Super Mario Bros. Wonder", which went on sale in October.

Nintendo shares closed down 0.5% ahead of earnings and have gained 14% year-to-date.