Kimishima: Nintendo Switch will not replace the 3DS

Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima has indicated in an interview with Bloomberg that he has no intention of stopping production of the 3DS when the Switch hits the market. He can further “not deny that the Switch will support virtual reality in the future.”

In the interview, Kimishima says that Nintendo wanted to do more than just make a successor to the 3DS and the Wii U. Because a lot of games come out, the 3DS as a product is still growing, he says. He doubts that the Switch will cannibalize sales of the 3DS, but that it can continue to grow in its own way.

When asked what his view is on virtual reality, Kimishima answers that Shigeru Miyamoto, the man behind games like Mario and Zelda, has shown interest several times. The director says that he is also interested in virtual reality, because it offers new ways to play. According to Kimishima, it is theoretically possible to add VR capabilities to the Switch.

Last week, Nintendo announced its new console, the Switch. The game console has a built-in screen and a battery, so that it can be disconnected from the television and can be used as a handheld console. It is not yet known whether Nintendo wants to replace the Wii U with the console.