Nintendo of Europe recently announced it will stop selling the original Nintendo Switch family of systems from mid-February next year, while Nintendo has confirmed the hardware will continue to be sold in selected markets outside Europe.
The move was first reported by Nintendo of Europe and later clarified through communications between Nintendo and media outlets.
IGN reached out to Nintendo to confirm whether the European discontinuation applied globally.
Nintendo told IGN that the company intends to continue selling the Nintendo Switch family in regions beyond those served by Nintendo of Europe.
In journalistic terms, Nintendo conveyed that it will maintain sales of the Nintendo Switch in markets outside of Nintendo of Europe's territory.
Background: The Nintendo Switch family encompasses three primary hardware SKUs.
The original Nintendo Switch launched on March 3, 2017, introducing Nintendo's hybrid home/portable design.
Nintendo released the portable-only Nintendo Switch Lite on September 20, 2019, aimed at a lower price point and handheld play.
The Nintendo Switch OLED Model, featuring a 7-inch OLED screen and other refinements, arrived on October 8, 2021.
These platforms share a common software library and continue to be supported across Nintendo's digital storefront, the Nintendo eShop.
The announcement from Nintendo of Europe is a regional sales decision and does not, per Nintendo's statement to IGN, indicate a global end to Switch hardware availability.
Nintendo has made regional supply and lifecycle decisions in the past, and this update clarifies the company's approach specifically for European retail channels.
For consumers and retailers in Europe, the discontinuation from mid-February next year means the original Switch models will no longer be sold through Nintendo of Europe's channels after that date.
For buyers in North America, Japan, and other territories, Nintendo's confirmation to IGN indicates those markets will still have access to Switch hardware through Nintendo's local distribution.
Nintendo typically communicates hardware and software plans through official channels such as Nintendo Direct presentations and press releases.
Retailers and consumers seeking the most current information should monitor Nintendo's regional websites and official Nintendo Direct announcements, as well as updates on the Nintendo eShop for digital content and support.
This development is a regional distribution update rather than a global discontinuation, as confirmed by Nintendo's direct statement to media outlets.
The move was first reported by Nintendo of Europe and later clarified through communications between Nintendo and media outlets.
IGN reached out to Nintendo to confirm whether the European discontinuation applied globally.
Nintendo told IGN that the company intends to continue selling the Nintendo Switch family in regions beyond those served by Nintendo of Europe.
In journalistic terms, Nintendo conveyed that it will maintain sales of the Nintendo Switch in markets outside of Nintendo of Europe's territory.
Background: The Nintendo Switch family encompasses three primary hardware SKUs.
The original Nintendo Switch launched on March 3, 2017, introducing Nintendo's hybrid home/portable design.
Nintendo released the portable-only Nintendo Switch Lite on September 20, 2019, aimed at a lower price point and handheld play.
The Nintendo Switch OLED Model, featuring a 7-inch OLED screen and other refinements, arrived on October 8, 2021.
These platforms share a common software library and continue to be supported across Nintendo's digital storefront, the Nintendo eShop.
The announcement from Nintendo of Europe is a regional sales decision and does not, per Nintendo's statement to IGN, indicate a global end to Switch hardware availability.
Nintendo has made regional supply and lifecycle decisions in the past, and this update clarifies the company's approach specifically for European retail channels.
For consumers and retailers in Europe, the discontinuation from mid-February next year means the original Switch models will no longer be sold through Nintendo of Europe's channels after that date.
For buyers in North America, Japan, and other territories, Nintendo's confirmation to IGN indicates those markets will still have access to Switch hardware through Nintendo's local distribution.
Nintendo typically communicates hardware and software plans through official channels such as Nintendo Direct presentations and press releases.
Retailers and consumers seeking the most current information should monitor Nintendo's regional websites and official Nintendo Direct announcements, as well as updates on the Nintendo eShop for digital content and support.
This development is a regional distribution update rather than a global discontinuation, as confirmed by Nintendo's direct statement to media outlets.
