Enthusiasts queue up for Nintendo Switch 2 debut, faced with impending global supply shortage
Frenzied Fans Flock for Nintendo Switch 2 Launch
The gaming world erupted with excitement as the Nintendo Switch 2 hit the shelves on May 5, 2025. However, it seems this highly-anticipated device might be difficult to grab hold of, with global demand skyrocketing.
"The demand's through the roof," hollered Serkan Toto, founder of Kantan Games consultancy, as he watched the mayhem unfold.
In Japan's bustling Ikebukuro district, triumphant winners of Bic Camera's sales lottery lined up before the stores opened, their eyes sparkling with excitement. Yumi Ohi, a 30-year-old delivery contractor, traveled all the way from Saitama prefecture, after missing out on previous lotteries. With a cheeky grin, she admitted to Reuters, "I feel like I'm going to cry."
Nintendo's Switch home-portable device has been an undeniable success since its launch in 2017, with staggering sales of 152 million units. Titles like The Legend of Zelda, and this year's pandemic sensation, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, turned the console into a gaming colossus.
The Switch 2 shares many features with its predecessor but boasts a larger screen, improved graphics, and better processing power. It unleashes with titles such as Mario Kart World.
Piers Harding-Rolls, an analyst at Ampere Analysis, predicts strong adoption of the Switch 2 thanks to the console's existing massive user-base. "The much larger audience of Switch users should translate to stronger adoption in the early stages of its lifecycle," he says optimistically.
Concerns over Nintendo's ability to meet demand raise their heads during President Trump's trade war. With a price tag of $499.99, the Switch 2 puts Nintendo's supply chain management to the test.
Still, President Shuntaro Furukawa is confident: "We will strengthen production capacity to meet the high demand and focus on sales promotion to exceed our forecast" he declared.
Many gamers have been eagerly awaiting this blessed day, and Nintendo received a mind-boggling 2.2 million applications for a sales lottery on its My Nintendo Store in Japan. Even pre-orders at Target were snapped up in a flash, leaving PC gamers twiddling their thumbs.
"You're looking at weeks or months until you can buy a Switch 2 without wading through a sea of fellow enthusiasts," Toto concludes soberly.
Investors are also following the launch of the Switch 2 with high expectations; Nintendo's shares are nearing all-time highs and have surged nearly 30% so far this year. But one question lingers: will the Switch 2 managed to sustain momentum long after hardcore gamers have upgraded? Only time will tell.
Ampere forecasts that the Switch 2 will sell over 100 million units by 2030, and that's just the beginning of the console's story. Are you ready?
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Stay tuned for more exciting updates, nerds!
Sources: [1] Reuters [2] IGN [3] Polygon [4] The Verge [5] Target
1. Despite the staggering demand, Serkan Toto, founder of Kantan Games consultancy, predicts that it might take weeks or months for gamers to buy a Nintendo Switch 2 without facing a sea of fellow enthusiasts.2. As the launch of the Switch 2 stirs excitement in the gaming world, investors are following it closely, with Nintendo's shares nearing all-time highs and surging nearly 30% this year.3. Beyond the gaming realm, the travel industry is keeping an eye on the growing popularity of gamers, as Dubai recently unveiled new initiatives to empower women in esports and gaming.4. Meanwhile, for those planning international travels, The Insider’s Guide to Affordable Business Class Flights could prove helpful in navigating the world of lucrative yet affordable business class seats.
