As disappointed as we were to learn that the Switch’s successor wouldn’t launch in 2024, there are some advantages to the delay. Most importantly, Nintendo will have plenty of time to create enough supply to meet the ravenous demand for the Switch 2.
In a recent Q&A with shareholders, the company was asked about how it plans to stop scalpers from reselling Switch 2 consoles next year. In response, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa explained that the easiest way to prevent scalping is to produce enough Switch 2 consoles at launch and make it easy for anyone to get their hands on one.
“In addition, we are considering whether we can take any measures within the scope of the law, taking into account the circumstances of each region,” Furukawa added.
Of course, customers had so much trouble finding a Nintendo Switch, a PS5, or an Xbox Series X at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the global chip shortage. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft simply couldn’t build enough consoles. As a result, scalpers could swipe any restocks and immediately turn around and sell them at a markup.
As for the global semiconductor shortage, “this situation has now been resolved,” Furukawa told the shareholders. “We do not believe that the shortage of parts will have a significant impact on production of the successor model at this time.”
These quotes from Furukawa line up with a Nikkei report from earlier this year, which suggested Nintendo was pushing back the release date of its new console “to ensure the initial inventory of the successor console and a lineup of software titles” would be ready at launch.
A few months later, Furukawa stated on X that the company “will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year.”
