Why It's Going to Get Harder to Buy a Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch sales are dropping by 20% according to reports. Will this affect your ability to buy one, though? Probably...

Nintendo's Switch has suffered yet another blow, as reports have suggested the console might see a 20% cut in manufacturing.

This means it is going to become harder to buy a Nintendo Switch in the coming months; bad news considering the Switch OLED is here. Let's analyse the details...

Nintendo Switch Production Cut by 20%

The Nintendo Switch has proven itself to be an incredibly popular device. So popular, in fact, that the console (in standard and Lite editions) had held the number one best-selling console position for well over two years.

However, it looks like those sales figures will plummet by around one fifth, or 20%, in the very near future, according to a report from Nikkei.com. Nintendo faces a minor crisis in the wake of the component shortage that has rocked the tech industry. With the Switch OLED sold out at most (if not all) retailers, the timing couldn't be worse for Nintendo.

Why Is Switch Production Dropping?

Two words; component crisis. As we all know, the 2020/21 COVID crisis had knock-on effects across the board. One such issue COVID caused was the temporary closure of electronic component factories, namely those that manufacture semiconductors.

With these shortages came further problems for tech manufacturers; without the semiconductors needed to produce their devices, stock dwindled. Nintendo, initially, seemed to weather the storm pretty well, with its Switch buoyantly sitting atop the console sales charts throughout 2020.

Nintendo's Shuntaro Furukawa stated back in April that Switch sales were likely to see a slump, so this shouldn't really come as any surprise. Add the fact that literally the entire tech industry is begging for more semiconductors, and you'll see why Nintendo is suddenly grappling with the problem.

What Does This Production Lull Mean for Nintendo?

Well, the Switch no longer holds the top selling console spot. It lost out to the PS5 fairly recently. This will have been a blow for Nintendo, but not so much as the manufacturing issues it is currently facing. So what does this mean for Nintendo?

Well, it released the Switch OLED on October 8th. The console giant was hoping to produce and sell around 30 million more Switch consoles in order for supply to meet demand (according to Nikkei's report). If we think about that figure alone, this means a drop of 6 million Switches reaching production.

The Switch OLED retails for $399, which equates to a loss of approximately $2.3 billion. Ouch. This also suggests that the Switch might not catch up with the PS5, but only time will tell in that respect.

Will You Still Be Able to Buy a Nintendo Switch?

Yes. Don't panic. Nintendo hasn't paused production altogether. It just expects to see a reduction in output of around 20% of the current manufacturing figures. The Switch OLED is currently sold-out at most retailers, with scalpers holding onto the current stock and flipping it for a profit.

You can still buy the OG Switch and Switch Lite if you want to get into Nintendo's Switch ecosystem without waiting for the OLED to be in stock.

So, you will still be able to get your hands on a Switch or Switch OLED, but you might have to exercise a little more patience as you wait for stock to return to normal.

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