Nintendo shares jump almost 7 per cent after strong Switch Lite launch

Shares in Nintendo Co Ltd jumped almost 7 per cent on Friday, a day after the Japanese gaming company reported strong demand for a low-cost version of its hybrid home-portable Switch console.

Nintendo said on Thursday it sold almost 2 million units of its handheld-only Switch Lite device in the 10 days after its September launch, with the company’s operating profit doubling in the second quarter.

The company said on Friday it would begin testing a multiplayer option for its Mario Kart Tour mobile game in December, a step towards offering full multiplayer that has been a demand from many players and is seen as essential to boosting the title’s revenues.

Nintendo's shares were trading up 5.6 per cent at 01:55 GMT, with the benchmark index .N225 down 0.4 per cent.