Nintendo has announced that demand for the Nintendo Switch console won’t be met this holiday season, with the company cutting its full-year Switch sales forecast by 6%. Gamers have been struggling to get their hands on the latest consoles and PC parts since 2020, with consoles like the Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X still hard to acquire, in part due to manufacturing issues and component shortages seen across the technological industry.
The Nintendo Switch first launched in 2017 and has since seen improved models and new additions added to the Switch family of consoles. Thanks to Nintendo’s impressive line-up of popular AAA, indie, and family-friendly games, it’s because one of the company’s most successful consoles, rivaling Sony and Microsoft in sales despite the hardware limitations it faces in comparison to new-generation releases. The original Switch may now be four years old, but releases like the new Nintendo Switch OLED model mean it’s still set to be one of the most popular holiday purchases this year, but stock shortages could be a problem.
Nintendo has reduced its full-year Nintendo Switch sales target to 24 million units in anticipation of not meeting demand this holiday season (via Reuters). The drop comes in response to a shortage in chips, meaning Nintendo is currently unable to produce the number of consoles originally forecasted to be sold this Christmas. Many companies facing similar supply shortages have not cut their targets in response, but it could become more common as manufacturing issues continue. Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa warned that the company doesn’t know how long the problem will persist, telling a news briefing:
“We can’t produce enough to meet the demand we are expecting during the upcoming holiday season. Currently there is no sign of improvement and the situation continues to be severe so I can’t say how long it will continue.”
The news could mean that those looking to pick up a Nintendo Switch for the holidays may struggle, especially as demand grows in the weeks and days leading up to Christmas Day. It seems likely that the most difficult Nintendo Switch model to acquire will be the newly-released Nintendo Switch OLED, which has received rave reviews from both critics and consumers. Families looking to buy a Switch for younger family members may have more success locating a Nintendo Switch Lite, the cheapest model in the console family designed solely for handheld play.
Nintendo’s uncertainty over when the Nintendo Switch production issue may improve suggests the problem could persist deep into 2022, which could become an issue for Nintendo’s software sales. The company is gearing up for the release of new games in one of its flagship franchises, Pokémon, with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl likely to top the charts over the festive period, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus coming in early 2022. Those hoping to purchase a Switch for the new Pokémon releases may struggle to do so, which could impact sales of the games. The Switch will celebrate its fifth birthday in March 2022, and it’s hoped that those who haven’t yet purchased the latest Nintendo console will be able to do so with ease by then.
