Nintendo Partnered Samsung to Boost Switch 2 Chip Production—20 Million Units Expected by 2026

The race to claim a Switch 2 this year is already making fans sweat—and it hasn’t even launched yet. But here’s some news that might calm your trigger-happy refresh fingers: Nintendo is teaming up with Samsung to ramp up chip production, with plans to move a jaw-dropping 20 million units by March 2026.

That’s not just a big number—it’s a flex. And it’s exactly the kind of backup Nintendo needs if it wants to follow up the original Switch’s legendary run with another hit (without putting fans through another year of “Out of Stock” trauma).

The Brains Behind Switch 2: Samsung & Nvidia

According to Bloomberg, Nintendo has enlisted Samsung Electronics Co. to help manufacture its main processors, which are reportedly custom-designed by Nvidia and built using Samsung’s 8-nanometer tech. In simple terms? Nintendo went to some of the biggest tech powerhouses on the planet to make sure the Switch 2 is ready to launch at scale—and avoid the launch-day shortages we’ve come to dread with every new console drop.

Samsung isn’t new to this game either. They’ve already been supplying Nintendo with memory chips and display components for years. But this time, they’re stepping up to handle the actual muscle that makes the new console tick.

20 Million Units by 2026

Sources say that with Samsung on board, the production pace is set to blitz through the backlog and hit over 20 million Switch 2 units shipped by March 2026. That’s not a pie-in-the-sky guess. Nintendo has historically underestimated demand (remember the Wii chaos?), but this time around, they seem to be playing offence, not defence. Samsung also has the capacity to ramp up even more, depending on how fast assemblers like Foxconn can keep up.

Combine that with strong global hype, backward compatibility, and what appears to be a healthy launch game lineup, and suddenly that 20 million target doesn’t look so unrealistic.

Nintendo’s Official Launch Forecast: 15 Million, But With Wiggle Room

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently told investors that the company expects to sell 15 million units during the Switch 2’s launch window. When asked why that forecast seemed “low,” he simply said it’s aligned with their original Switch debut, back when nobody expected it to explode.

He also pointed out that the Switch 2 will be pricier than its predecessor, launching globally on June 5, 2025, at $449.99 / £395.99. But Furukawa was quick to note that its backward compatibility and software bundles would likely drive demand later in the fiscal year. Translation: Nintendo’s aiming cautiously now, but it knows it has a megaton hit in the making.

Preorder Panic

If you missed the first wave of Switch 2 preorders and are now stress-scrolling every retail site in existence, take a breather. GameStop and Best Buy have both confirmed they’ll be restocking consoles in-store and online during launch. Combined with Nintendo’s partnership with Samsung, this means supply might actually meet demand for once. Which would be a refreshing change from the “you blink, you miss it” chaos we saw with the PS5, OLED Switch, and basically every GPU since 2020.

Why This Samsung Deal Is a Game-Changer (Pun Intended)

In an industry where hardware shortages have become a running gag (and a source of heartbreak), Nintendo making this kind of proactive move is a huge signal of intent. The Switch 2 isn’t just a sequel—it’s a serious business pivot toward making sure launch momentum doesn’t die in a supply chain bottleneck.

And let’s not forget: Samsung is competing directly with TSMC, which handles chip production for companies like Apple and Nvidia. Winning the Switch 2 contract gives Samsung another jewel in its semiconductor crown—and puts Nintendo in a position to hit numbers even the original Switch couldn’t dream of during launch.