Just when the issue of supply and demand was probably at its absolute extreme, Nintendo has finally lifted the lid on its plan to address the mass shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the Nintendo Switch selling out globally just weeks into the quarantine period, the Japanese company has declared that it will be increasing its production on the highly-rated console-handheld hybrid by 10%.
Nikkei reports that 22 million units of the Nintendo Switch, which became even more of a hot commodity after the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, will be produced in 2020, which is a tenth more than the 20 million that was produced in 2019. This increase was due to the shortage that was brought about after shipments for parts in Japan and other parts of East Asia ground to a halt amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Nintendo’s update will no doubt be a breath of fresh air to many prospective gamers.
However, not all is peachy with what the company has to say in its update about the production. As supplies for certain parts are not entirely guaranteed, with factories still struggling to get back into the groove after being crippled by COVID-19.
“We hope [suppliers] will be responsive to the production increase, but for procurement of some parts, the outlook remains uncertain, and we can’t forecast exactly how many Switches can be supplied,” a Nintendo spokesperson told Nikkei.
As such, the company gave no exact date as to when consumers can expect the Nintendo Switch to be back in stock, though it is expected that production should resume at full capacity sometime “in the April-June quarter”. In other words, it’s just a matter of time before they hit the shelves in brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce platforms.
In the meantime, it’s best to be patient and to wait it out and not fall prey to scams that have been happening recently. After all, there are many other games for you to enjoy for the time being, especially those that are free-of-charge.
Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.
Trinity Sun
