Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Americans are stuck at home, many kids out of school and idling. With nothing to do at home, games come to the rescue, leading to scarcity of Nintendo Switch, which is currently sold out almost everywhere.
Major online retail giants like Amazon, Walmart, GameStop, Target, and Best Buy are all out of stock.
In an email to Business Insider, Nintendo confirmed the shortage, stating that, “Nintendo Switch hardware is selling out at different retail locations in the US, but more systems are on the way. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
Even though the Nintendo Switch has been around for three years, it is still very popular, with more than 52 million units sold. Because of the ongoing pandemic, it is now completely sold out at most major stores.
You can see the evidence yourself on websites like Amazon, Target, GameStop, Best Buy, and Walmart, where many versions of the console are listed as sold out both online and in stores.
GameStop’s online store also shows that the console is out of stock.
Things get a bit more complicated at Amazon and Walmart because they let third-party sellers offer the consoles at higher prices. For example, you can find the Switch on Walmart’s site, but you’ll have to pay much more than the usual price.
As it stands, you might have to pay $25 extra for the Nintendo Switch Lite or even up to $240 more for the “Animal Crossing” Nintendo Switch, which doesn’t even come with the game.
On Amazon, it’s the same story, where the console has a $125 minimum markup.
With the Switch being such a popular gaming console and so many people needing to stay indoors, it has seen a huge increase in sales. Plus, the recent release of “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” — a game that many believe is a great way to escape the stress of this uncertain time — has likely boosted Switch sales.
The game sold nearly 2 million copies in Japan in just its first three days, according to Famitsu, and it is expected to do really well in the US too. Nintendo has not yet shared sales numbers for the game in the US or when they expect to have more Switch consoles in stock.
