Nintendo profit falls as Switch sales fade

Nintendo profits have taken a hit.

That as sales of its flagship Switch games console start dropping.

Shipments of the device were down 22% over the first quarter.

After five years on the market, that could be a sign that demand for the console is finally falling.

Overall, that saw the Japanese firm post operating profits down 17% to around $1.1 billion.

That was below analyst forecasts.

It was also a contrast with rival Sony, which posted record profits on the back of robust sales for its PlayStation 5.

The Super Mario creator may not be too alarmed though.

An upgraded version of the Switch is due to go on sale in October, which Nintendo hopes will revive momentum.

The Kyoto-based company also has a pipeline of popular games coming, including new Pokemon titles.

As a result, Nintendo is sticking to its forecasts for the year.

It expects to sell 25.5 million Switch consoles over the period.