Enthusiastic gamers flocked to stores on Thursday for the highly anticipated release of Nintendo’s Switch 2, expected to experience limited availability globally due to overwhelming demand for the advanced gaming console.
“The level of demand seems to be sky-high,” noted Serkan Toto, founder of the consultancy Kantan Games.
In Tokyo’s bustling Ikebukuro shopping district, numerous winners of a sales lottery organized by electronics chain Bic Camera gathered outside the store to pick up their consoles before it opened.
“I feel like I’m going to cry,” expressed Yumi Ohi, a 30-year-old delivery contractor, in an interview with Reuters. Ohi traveled from the neighboring Saitama prefecture to claim her Switch 2 after missing out on previous lotteries.
Since its debut in 2017, Nintendo has sold an impressive 152 million Switch home-portable consoles. The device gained immense popularity, particularly with hits like “The Legend of Zelda” series and the pandemic favorite “Animal Crossing: New Horizons.”
The new Switch 2 retains many features of its predecessor but boasts enhancements such as a larger display and upgraded graphics. It launches alongside several titles, including Mario Kart World.
“The significantly larger audience of existing Switch users should lead to better adoption rates in its early days,” explained Piers Harding-Rolls, an analyst at Ampere Analysis. He also noted that “Nintendo is better prepared this time around” to meet the high demand.
The $499.99 Switch 2 launch serves as a critical challenge for Nintendo’s supply chain management, especially in light of ongoing trade tensions during the Trump administration.
Nintendo recently projected sales of 15 million Switch 2 consoles for the current fiscal year, alongside 4.5 million regular Switch units. President Shuntaro Furukawa indicated that the company would enhance production capacity to cater to robust demand while promoting sales to surpass their forecasts.
“Given it’s a special occasion, I wanted to buy (the Switch 2) right away on its release date,” remarked Shinichi Sekiguchi, a hotel receptionist in his thirties.
According to Nintendo, the sales lottery on My Nintendo Store in Japan attracted 2.2 million applicants. Pre-orders at Target sold out within a mere two hours.
“You are looking at weeks or months until you can walk into a store and buy a Switch 2,” advised Toto from Kantan Games.
Investor anticipation for the device is equally high, with Nintendo’s stocks nearing their peak and showing nearly a 30 percent increase this year.
Concerns remain regarding whether the momentum for the Switch 2 can be sustained after initial upgrades from dedicated gamers are made. Harding-Rolls pointed out, “The volume of first-party games at launch isn’t as strong as it could be, meaning some casual users might hold off until they see a broader game lineup over the next one to two years.”
Ampere predicts that by 2030, Switch 2 sales will surpass 100 million units.
The highly anticipated “Mario Kart World” is priced at $79.99, stirring discussions about the cost of games in the current market. Nintendo is actively encouraging third-party titles to join the platform.
Reflecting on the price, Akitomo Takahashi, a salesman in his forties, remarked, “I’ve been around since the era of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and games back then were pricey too, so I think it’s somewhat within the acceptable range.” He expressed his eagerness to dive into the action role-playing game “Elden Ring” on his new Switch 2.
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