Nintendo to ask suppliers to boost Switch production

Nintendo has been trying to boost production of the handheld hybrid gadget since February, even before hits like 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' made gaming essential entertainment for millions around the world sheltering in place. — Dreamstime/TNS

Nintendo Co has asked its partners to increase Switch production to sate a surge in global demand during the Covid-19 pandemic, but a lack of key components like memory may curtail efforts to boost output.

The Kyoto-based company has instructed suppliers to meet a revised forecast for 22 million units in the fiscal year ending March 2021, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified discussing private targets. That’s about level with the previous year but up from a previously planned slight decrease in production of the three-year-old console. Sales of previous devices – including the ultra-popular Wii – typically begin to slow from their fourth year in the market.