The Nintendo Switch is impossible to find, but that could change soon according to Nintendo.
When the COVID-19 pandemic caused the world economy to plummet, forcing countless millions to stay at home and social distance to help “flatten the curve” * two items were in high demand: toilet paper and the Nintendo Switch video games.
Toilet paper is now back on store shelves (at the moment), but Nintendo Switch remains elusive. You can still buy one online, but the profit margin is severe: this Animal crossing the package will cost you $ 649, and a regular Nintendo Switch on Amazon costs between $ 400 and $ 500. The MSRP for a Switch costs only $ 299.99.
The Nintendo Switch Lite has been a bit easier to track on MSRP ($ 199.99) but most of the time it’s selling for $ 300 or more, and it doesn’t have the ability to dock or undock Joy-Con controllers.
In addition to the increased demand for the Switch, Nintendo has faced yet another challenge. Manufacturing in China was halted earlier this year, and global distribution networks have also been affected. Fortunately, according to Nintendo, that has slowly begun to change.
“We couldn’t manufacture [Switch] as planned through May, but production has largely recovered since June, “Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said during a shareholder meeting according to Kyodo News.” We expect it to normalize around the summer. “
Shareholders rejected Furukawa, noting that Nintendo has missed an opportunity during this crisis to dramatically increase sales, and urging the company to take action against reselling (which, let’s be honest, we should call for price increases right now). .
“I am sorry that I caused problems for consumers,” said Furukawa. “We want to deliver (the console) to as many people as possible. We will improve the situation as soon as possible.”
As for the games themselves, Nintendo is optimistic. “Currently, we do not see any impact on the software that will go on sale this year,” said a Nintendo official during the meeting, “but there is a possibility that we may not be able to sell it on schedule in the event of a second or third wave.” . (from coronavirus infections). “
That second or third wave could also affect hardware production, so take the good news with some reasonable skepticism. It’s great to hear that production is back to normal and that we are likely to see the Nintendo Switch in existence again sometime this summer, but the world is defined by uncertainty more than ever these days.
Add to this the ridiculous level of reselling that is taking place, people often use bots to get any stock that appears in MSRP, and even a new batch of Nintendo Switch consoles could go incredibly fast.
All I can say is, good luck, young Padawans. May the force be with you. Meanwhile, the PS4 and Xbox One are great consoles in their own right, and even the Wii U has a lot to offer. I bet you could find a used Wii U and some cool games (like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze and Mario Kart 8) and use it as a Switch when you are at home. Just a thought.
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