Nintendo not worried about Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 in 2020

Nintendo isn't worried about new next-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X interrupting Switch hardware or software sales.

The Switch isn't a replacement system, but a complementary one. It lives alongside consoles and PC gaming by offering exclusive access to first-party Nintendo best-sellers and the portability of a higher-end handheld. The NPD Group notes that 40% of Switch owners in the U.S. also own a PS4 and Xbox One, proving the Switch can thrive in between the major console wars.

Nintendo doesn't expect this to change when the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X release in holiday 2020. Next-gen won't take a lot of attention away from the Switch, especially now that Nintendo is doubling-down on first-party software development.

"We will certainly see new products from competitors. I think there is a change in the environment," Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said in a recent Q&A investor's meeting.

"However, the position of Nintendo Switch in the life cycle of other companies' hardware is different and the target customer segment is also different, so we do not think that the business trends of other companies will have a special effect on our business."

We could see some of the Switch's most anticipated games release in 2020 or thereabouts to counter next-gen systems, possibly even Metroid Prime 4. Then again, Nintendo marches to the beat of its own drum so nothing's for sure.

The company apparently isn't making any new hardware though. Furukawa also confirmed a new Switch Pro model isn't coming out in 2020.