Nintendo’s president has said the company will put measures in place to prevent resellers from significantly impacting Nintendo Switch 2 launch supplies.
Speaking to the Japanese press for the first time since Switch 2’s announcement, on Tuesday Shuntaro Furukawa was asked how Nintendo plans to ensure a smooth launch for the console, especially considering the original Switch’s history of stock shortages, which were often exacerbated by those seeking to resell consoles for profit.
Furukawa said Nintendo has made preparations based on its past experience and planned to prepare enough Switch 2 console inventory to meet demand.
He said (via Nikkei, translated by VGC): “We will take all possible measures based on the experience we have accumulated to date (regarding scalpers and the like). We are making preparations.”
Following more than a year of leaks and speculation, Nintendo announced Nintendo Switch 2 last month, with a full reveal and global hands-on events planned beginning in April.
According to an earlier Nikkei report, Nintendo had planned to launch Switch 2 in late 2024, but “priority was given to ensure the initial inventory of the successor console and a line-up of software titles at the time of its launch” in an attempt to avoid widespread reselling.
Market research firm Circana has predicted that Nintendo Switch 2 will sell over four million units in the United States alone in 2025, if it’s released in the first half of the year, accounting for approximately 1/3rd of all video game console hardware units sold this year.
Another research firm, DFC Intelligence, predicts that Switch 2 sales will exceed 80 million units by the end of 2028, which is more than the original Switch managed during its first three years on sale (55.77 million).
Toyo Securities analyst Yasuda Hideki told Nikkei he expects Switch 2 sales to reach 6 million units in its first three months.
Nintendo confirmed on Tuesday that Switch sold 4.82m units over the holiday season, for a total of 9.54m since April 1, 2024, and 150.86m life-to-date. The Switch has to clear 154 million (Nintendo DS) and 160 million (PS2) to become the best-selling console in history.
Speaking to the Japanese media, Furukawa also said Nintendo will continue to support Switch 1 after Switch 2’s launch.
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