TOKYO, Oct 31 — Japanese gaming giant Nintendo said today its first-half sales jumped thanks to steady demand for its Switch gaming platform with the launch of its smaller, cheaper new console.

Sales for April-September gained 14.2 per cent from a year earlier to 444.0 billion yen (RM17 billion) while operating profit surged 53.4 per cent to 94.2 billion yen.

The sales gain was partially due to the launch of Nintendo Switch Lite, a scaled back, cheaper version of the popular console, in September.

But net profit for the period fell 4.0 per cent to 62 billion yen "as a result of foreign exchange losses of 20.5 billion yen and other factors,” Ninetendo said in a statement.

The Kyoto-based firm kept full-year forecasts unchanged. It still forecasts a 7.2 per cent decline in bottom-line profit with a 4.1 per cent gain in sales for the fiscal year to March 2020.

The Switch has become a huge global seller, helped by innovative, family-friendly titles that have wowed critics and gamers alike. — AFP