While Nintendo is certainly focused on growing the adoption of its current-gen console – the Switch 2 – the company hasn’t left the previous generation behind. A new firmware update has been released for the Nintendo Switch, the Switch Lite, and the OLED model that brings with it a redesign for the eShop.
Among other things, the redesigned layout of the eShop now better matches the user’s color theme of choice as long as the theme system setting has been set to “Basic Dark”. Along with this, User-Verification PINs can now be used to access the eShop and even use saved payment methods. General usability improvements for the eShop don’t just stop there. While watching full-screen videos in the eShop or News sections, users can now rewind or advance 10 seconds by pressing the ZL and ZR buttons, respectively.
The eShop has also seen a major performance boost thanks to the addition of a new eShop app. Previously, the Nintendo eShop, when accessed through the Nintendo Switch, just opened up a browser window where web pages were slowly loaded in. The latest update has turned the eShop into a native app for the Switch, bringing it more in line with the eShop experience on the Switch 2.
Updates to the eShop should come as no surprise, since Nintendo has also continued to support the older console with the release of new games. Among these is the upcoming Rhythm Heaven Groove, which is coming to the console on July 2nd. The title will be the first entry in the Rhythm Heaven series since 2016’s Rhythm Heaven Megamix on the Nintendo 3DS. Third-party support is also continuing in some form, with icy city-builder Frostpunk being confirmed for the platform.
The Nintendo Switch has been an immensely successful console, with the company revealing in its financial report last month that it had hit almost 156 million life time units sold, with 550,000 of these being sold in the last quarter alone. Even on the software side of things, the Nintendo Switch remained strong, selling 27.98 million units in the same three-month period.
In the meantime, the Nintendo Switch 2 has continued its steady rise in sales, with the financial report noting that the company had sold almost 20 million units as of March 31st. Of these, 2.49 million units of the Switch 2 were sold in the previous quarter alone. When it comes to software sales, 10.78 million units of Switch 2 games have been sold. Despite the success, however, Nintendo has lowered its sales forecast for the 2027 fiscal year.
“For Nintendo Switch 2, sales were more concentrated in the launch year in comparison to previous hardware systems. Reflecting strong launch-year sales and price revisions, we expect FY27 sales units to decline year-on-year. Even so, we believe this represents a solid level of adoption for Nintendo Switch 2 in its second year after launch.”
Sales of the Switch 2 are likely to continue growing thanks in large part to planned price hikes that will come into effect from September 1st onwards. The console will be priced at $499.99/$679.99 CAD/€499.99 in the US, Canada, and Europe, respectively.
