Recently, it became known that Nintendo was selling a dockless version of the Nintendo Switch in Japan but it wasn't made clear whether this mobile-only version would make it to shores outside of the region at the time. However, the company has revealed that the SKU is exclusive to the territory and that they currently have no plans to release it anywhere else.
Two Switches, one household
Nintendo's decision to sell a dockless Switch is a move that will bring their plan to have multiple Switch units under each roof to fruition. The strategy does make sense since Switch owners already have a dock from their regular SKU and can simply use it to charge the other main unit as opposed to buying a second one as part of the regular SKU being sold at full price.
However, Nintendo seems to only focus on households in Japan.
Original story
Last week, it was reported that a dockless SKU was retailing at 26,978 yen ($244) on the My Nintendo Store website for Japan. Besides the dock, the SKU was also stripped of the AC adapter, HDMI cable, Joy-Con Grip, and dock. At first, it seemed like this SKU was aimed at consumers who primarily rely on the mobile functionality of the Switch. However, this recent update revealed that it was in line with Nintendo's original plan of having multiple Switch units in each household.
Only for Japan?
Nintendo has yet to clarify whether this SKU will remain exclusive to Japanese retailers but chances are it might not. If the company is serious about filling every household with multiple Switch units then the SKU will undoubtedly make its way across international waters eventually.
The SKU will also provide consumers with more options for the Nintendo Switch and at a cheaper price.
it's possible that Nintendo might be testing the local waters for early sales of the dockless Switch as a measuring stick for how it may fare in larger markets. If all goes well, this SKU could see international release, and the earliest could be late 2018.
However, this also means that Nintendo would also have to sell the dock separately, much like the Joy-Con controllers and other accessories.
Although there are already a plethora of third-party docks on sale, Nintendo would not (and should not) pass up the opportunity to sell the component as a standalone given the Nintendo Switch's rising popularity. The probability for all of this seems high but the waiting game must commence.
