Nintendo continues to enjoy the immense success of the Switch as the console continues to be a hot item for consumers. The hybrid game system has been very hard to acquire ever since it launched back in March 2017. While the current situation seems like a boon for the Japanese gaming firm, consumers have started to voice out their complaints about the company’s ability to meet demands. Last year, buyers encountered the same problem during the release of the NES Classic Edition. As the Holiday Season draws closer, there doesn’t seem to be any solution in sight for the supply problems of the new platform.
Nintendo Switch holiday demand
A report from Game Rant reveals that the company has acknowledged their current predicament regarding the unstable supply of the new game system. Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aime recently confirmed in an interview with Variety that they cannot guarantee adequate stocks of the Switch this holiday season. The executive apparently acknowledged the shortage but declined to share any information on how they plan to resolve the issue. Potential buyers are worried that they would have no choice but to get their units from resellers, which can cost around $50 to $200 USD more than retailers.
Unexpected success led to shortages
It seems gamers will continue to encounter problems with availability until the following year.
Both physical and online retailers currently to struggle to restock their inventory as the demand outweigh the current supply. Based on Nintendo’s most recent sales report, they have already sold close to 4.7 million units when June ended. It appears that they are unable to produce enough units to cover the holiday rush. All things considered, the situation seems like a repeat of last year’s NES Classic Edition shortage all over again.
Sales targets on track
Market experts revealed that Nintendo’s target for the Switch is to sell around 10 million units this fiscal year. They have until March 2018 to meet their goal and it already seems to be at the halfway mark. Their current rate is estimated to be close to a million units every month, which remains to be seen given their difficulties with supply.
The ongoing success of the new console can presumably be credited to its strong third-party games support and incoming first-party titles. As a comparison, the console’s sales are reportedly similar to Sony’s PlayStation 4 during its launch. However, the upcoming release of the SNES Classic Edition will surely please some gamers who prefer to grab the retro console this holiday instead.
