Nintendo Boosts R&D 23% and Plans Kyoto Research Site

Nintendo raised research and development spending by 23% compared with the prior fiscal year and disclosed plans to open a new R&D facility in Kyoto’s Minami Ward. Company filings link the spending rise and the new site to work on forthcoming hardware and software.

The filings state the Minami Ward facility will provide additional space and resources for engineers and developers. Nintendo has not provided a timetable for the site’s opening or specified which products will be developed there.

Nintendo’s increased R&D outlays come as the company prepares to report record-high sales of 1.82 trillion yen for its most recent fiscal period. The company characterized the investments as part of ongoing research and product development from its Kyoto base.

An online post compared current R&D figures with historical data and noted that the last time Nintendo recorded a 20% or greater year-over-year increase in R&D expenses, new hardware arrived the following year. The post did not identify specific products linked to the current budget rise.

Separately, Nintendo adjusted features in its Nintendo Today mobile app. The app no longer permits users to capture video or screenshots. In a notice, Nintendo described the app as a channel for short-form content and said the change followed reports of users exporting media from the app to other platforms.

Nintendo’s past hardware and accessory work has included Labo, amiibo collectibles and mini consoles. The company has not confirmed release dates or product names tied to the current R&D increase and expansion. Financial disclosures and company statements are the primary sources for the spending figures and the planned Kyoto facility.