Nintendo's recently unveiled portable console, Nintendo Switch, could sell as many as 40 million units by the end of 2020, says a report by Research firm DFC Intelligence.
The number is in stark contrast to the total number of Wii U consoles sold in the past four years. Wii U has sold 13.36 million units and the original Wii has sold about 100 million since 2006, GamesIndustry reported.
Though Nintendo has not released any official predictions for the long-term, it has however said that there will be nearly two million Nintendo Switch units available upon its release in March 3, 2017.
However, DFC Intelligence said they had adjusted their forecast in view of Nintendo's poor track record of introducing new products and its limited software. Nevertheless, the company seemed upbeat over the potential of the console.
"Demand is expected to be strong and the major issue will be whether the system can attract a broad audience starting in the holiday sales season of 2017," said the DFC report.
"The Switch is a compelling piece of hardware that could potentially reach a much larger addressable market," said David Cole, head of DFC.
But some analysts are not convinced of Switch's claim. "Sorry, but is a portable/home console approach really that innovative...? I am most concerned about the target group of the device: Who else but die-hard Nintendo fans will buy the Switch?" said Dr. Serkan Toto analyst, GameSpot reported.
Nintendo Switch will be launched with around 20 games at $300.
