Nintendo Says Switch 2 will be Released in 2025

Nintendo Says Switch 2 will be Released in 2025
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Nintendo Says Switch 2 will be Released in 2025

Nintendo Says Switch 2 will be Released in 2025

Japan's Nintendo (7974.T), will release the Switch 2 console, successor to its hit Switch device, this year, it said on Thursday.

The Kyoto-based gaming company did not release pricing for the new device and said it would provide more details at a Nintendo Direct event on April 2.

The company said that existing Switch software will be usable on the new device although some games may not be fully compatible.

Consumers and investors have been waiting for details of the new console, which appears to closely follow the playbook established by the hybrid home-portable Switch.

"The reveal did not have the punch of the original Switch," said Serkan Toto, founder of the Kantan Games consultancy, Reuters reported.

"What we saw is more like a 'Switch Pro' - an upgraded version that is bigger - than a Switch 2," he said, adding the launch will likely be after June.

The Switch transformed Nintendo's fortunes following the poor performance of the Wii U console, and has sold more than 145 million units.

Nintendo has extended the lifecycle of the Switch, which launched in 2017, with hardware refreshes and hit games from franchises such as Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda.

The company has said it expects to sell 12.5 million units of the ageing Switch console in the financial year ending March.

"The Switch 2 is poised to reinvigorate hardware sales," Jefferies analyst Atul Goyal wrote in a client note ahead of the announcement.

"Even if Nintendo builds up capacity to manufacture 15m Switch 2 for the year, the demand is likely to outstrip supply for several months/quarters," he added.

The Switch is the company's second best seller, topped only by the handheld Nintendo DS which sold 154 million units in total.

Nintendo is heavily dependent on its console business, even as it has opened stores and with its roster of characters featuring in theme parks and film.

Along with PlayStation maker Sony (6758.T), Japanese companies remain leading console providers, even as technology such as mobile and cloud offers alternatives for gaming.



Apple Leads Surge in Global Tech Shares after Trump Tariff Relief

A plaque commemorating President Donald Trump’s and Apple CEO Tim Cook's announcement an additional $100 billion Apple investment in the US in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 06 August 2025. EPA/BONNIE CASH / POOL
A plaque commemorating President Donald Trump’s and Apple CEO Tim Cook's announcement an additional $100 billion Apple investment in the US in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 06 August 2025. EPA/BONNIE CASH / POOL
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Apple Leads Surge in Global Tech Shares after Trump Tariff Relief

A plaque commemorating President Donald Trump’s and Apple CEO Tim Cook's announcement an additional $100 billion Apple investment in the US in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 06 August 2025. EPA/BONNIE CASH / POOL
A plaque commemorating President Donald Trump’s and Apple CEO Tim Cook's announcement an additional $100 billion Apple investment in the US in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 06 August 2025. EPA/BONNIE CASH / POOL

Global technology stocks advanced on Thursday in a relief rally after the latest tariff salvo from US President Donald Trump largely exempted industry heavyweights from his threat to impose 100% levy on chips and semiconductors.

Trump said the new tariff rate would apply to "all chips and semiconductors coming into the United States," but would not apply to companies that had made a commitment to manufacture in the US or were in the process of doing so.

Apple's stock rose 3.3% in premarket trading after Trump's announcement on Wednesday that the company will invest an additional $100 billion in the US, a move that could help it sidestep potential tariffs on iPhones.

US-listed chipmakers advanced broadly, with Advanced Micro Devices up 2.5%, Intel gaining 2.1% and Nvidia up 1.1%, Reuters reported.

"A major uncertainty has been removed and investors can finally move on," UBS analysts said in a note.

Semiconductor manufacturing equipment supplier Applied Materials and chipmakers Texas Instruments, GlobalFoundries and Broadcom - Apple's partners in the investment effort - climbed between 0.8% and 10.1%.

European chipmakers also joined the rally, with ASML , ASMI and BE Semiconductor Industries climbing about 3% each.

Germany's Infineon said it could not speculate on possible semiconductor tariffs, as no details have been disclosed yet. Its shares were up 0.6%.

Trump's latest on semiconductor tariffs seemingly rules out Taiwanese chip contract manufacturer TSMC, which makes chips for most US companies, including Nvidia, as it has factories in the US.

"The market remains keen to buy TSMC on dips. Investors also believe they need to remain positioned in AI - with or without tariffs," UBS analysts said.

TSMC shares closed almost 5% higher to hit all-time highs, while Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix climbed 2.5% and 1.4%, respectively.

South Korea's Samsung and SK Hynix will also not be subjected to 100% tariffs on chips, the country's top trade envoy said.

Samsung has invested in two chip fabrication plants in Austin and Taylor, Texas, while SK Hynix has announced plans to build an advanced chip packaging plant and research and development facility for artificial intelligence products in Indiana.

Since stepping into the White House in January, Donald Trump has made several tariff threats, specifically on semiconductors, aimed at reshaping the supply chain of the industry and spurring domestic production.

"The (100% tariff) figure fits Trump's approach of 'open high, negotiate down' and the final figure could be similar to reciprocal tariffs to limit inflation in consumer goods, given that many have chips," said Phelix Lee, senior equity analyst at Morningstar.

Not everyone has come out of the latest blitz on the right side, with the Philippines and Malaysia looking to find out more details about the tariff rate.

Dan Lachica, the president of the trade body for the Philippine semiconductor industry, said 70% of its electronics exports are semiconductors and the new tariff rate would be "devastating". Philippine stocks were down 0.1% after falling as much as 0.9% during the day.

Malaysia's trade minister said the country has reached out to US counterparts for clarity on the tariffs.