- With millions of Americans staying home due to the coronavirus pandemic, many with children who are out of school, the Nintendo Switch is sold out everywhere.
- Retailers across the board are sold out, including Amazon, Walmart, GameStop, Target, and Best Buy.
- Nintendo confirmed the supply issue in an email to Business Insider. “Nintendo Switch hardware is selling out at various retail locations in the US,” a company representative said, “but more systems are on the way. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
Nintendo is already three years in to the Nintendo Switch’s life, but the console remains a hot commodity with over 52 million sold.
And now, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the console is completely sold out at most major retailers.
Nintendo confirmed as much in a statement this morning: “Nintendo Switch hardware is selling out at various retail locations in the US, but more systems are on the way. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
Look no further than the digital storefronts of Amazon, Target, GameStop, Best Buy, and Walmart for proof. Target’s website lists various versions of the console as sold out both in store and online.
GameStop’s online store reflects the same situation — the console is simply out of stock.
Things get a little more complicated when it comes to Amazon and Walmart, both of which allow third-party sellers to offer products at a markup.
The Switch is available on Walmart’s website, for instance — if you’re willing to pay much more than the retail price.
Based on the pricing above, you’d pay $25 over the retail price of the Nintendo Switch Lite, and as much as $240 over the retail price of the “Animal Crossing” Nintendo Switch (which doesn’t come with a copy of the new game).
A similar scenario plays out on Amazon, where the console comes with a minimum markup of $125.
Between the Switch already being a popular game console and the sudden requirement for millions of Americans to stay indoors, the console has clearly seen explosive sales.
Additionally, the recent launch of “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” — a game regularly described as a perfect antidote to this uncertain, scary moment in history — has no doubt spurred sales of the Switch.
The game sold nearly 2 million copies in Japan alone in its first three days, according to Famitsu, and is likely to become a sales juggernaut in the US as well. Nintendo has yet to share US sales numbers for the game, nor did the company offer specifics of when it expects to replenish Switch console stock.
Reported By: Business Insider
