Nintendo hints at even more Switch 1 games to expand ‘software business’

With a Switch 2 price increase looming, it sounds like Nintendo is seriously considering supporting the original Switch for longer than expected.

Ahead of the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch, Nintendo made it clear that it wasn’t immediately pulling the plug on Switch 1, not when it still had a sizeable audience and the older console was a lot more affordable.

Looking at Nintendo’s release schedule, though, you’d be forgiven for thinking support was wrapping up. So far, the only wholly new Switch 1 games it’s had this year are the new Tomodachi Life and Pokémon Champions, while Rhythm Paradise Groove will follow in July.

Everything else, from Yoshi And The Mysterious Book to the Star Fox remake, is Switch 2 only, but it sounds like Nintendo might have more Switch 1 games in the pipeline than previously assumed.

This is based on comments made by Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa during a Q&A as part of the company’s latest financial report on the 2026 fiscal year, which ended in March.

‘I believe it is important that we consider how to expand the entire software business, including titles for both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, instead of focusing only on sales of Nintendo Switch 2 software,’ said Furukawa.

Unless Nintendo is thinking of pivoting to PC releases or something (which isn’t happening until pigs learn to fly), Furukawa can only be suggesting that further Switch 1 games are at least being talked about, if not already scheduled for the future.

This could also mean Nintendo, in response to the current financial climate, will pull back from Switch 2 exclusives slightly and encourage more cross-gen releases.

It won’t stop Switch 2 exclusives completely, since it needs them to sell the console (plus, Furukawa’s already promised a ‘robust’ line-up of Switch 2 games), but the Switch 2 stands to become a harder sell thanks to the upcoming price hike.

Only 40% of Tomodachi Life players own a Switch 2, according to Furukawa, so there’s clearly a large market of Switch 1 owners that are in no rush to get a new console any time soon.

Nintendo, like everyone else, has had problems releasing as many games on Switch 2 as it did in the previous generation. It doesn’t have Wii U ports to fall back on, like it did with the Switch 1, but more lower budget, quicker to make last gen games could potentially fill that gap.

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More Switch 1 games could also represent a cost-effective way to maintain lower profile franchises, such as F-Zero or Metroid. Metroid Prime 4 was a flop but Metroid Dread was very successful and a sequel doesn’t really need the Switch 2, if Nintendo are leery of spending too much on the franchise.

More retro re-releases are also viable, especially older Pokémon games since Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, which are playable across Switch 1 and Switch 2, were tremendous successes.

It’s also interesting that Furukawa’s comment was in response to a question about why sales for Mario Kart World (the Switch 2’s best selling game) had slowed down, after Nintendo stopped selling the console bundle.

He refrained from giving an exact answer, although he did describe Mario Kart World as an ‘evergreen’ game that ‘we would like to continue selling throughout the lifecycle of Nintendo Switch 2.

‘Going forward, we will continue to convey its appeal to consumers to expand its popularity as an evergreen title.’ That presumably means DLC additions and not just the small gameplay updates Nintendo’s released for the game, although he gave no hint as to when this might happen.

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