Nintendo Pledges Affordability And A Switch 2 Scalper Beatdown At Launch
Following the immense success of Nintendo's first-gen Switch console, which has spawned several iterative refreshes (like the Switch Lite and Switch OLED), it's a safe assumption that the upcoming Switch 2 will attract a lot of buyers, many of which are eager for a true next-gen release. It's coming. So are the scalpers, unfortunately. Does that mean the Switch 2 will be nearly as impossible to obtain at launch as NVIDIA's recently released GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080? It depends on how well Nintendo's strategy plays out.
It's not entirely clear what that strategy is, but during a recent question and answer session, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa offered up some interesting comments. He addressed the threat of scalpers head on and suggested that steps are being taken to ensure that Switch 2 consoles end up in the hands of gamers at launch.
"We will take all possible measures based on the experience we have accumulated to date (regarding scalpers and the like). We are making preparations," Furukawa told Nikkei.
What are those experiences, exactly? Furukawa did not elaborate, though both the Switch and Switch OLED launches saw demand outstrip supply. However, there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic that the Switch 2 launch could be a little less frustrating.
For one, this isn't the first time that Furukawa has talked about scalpers in relation to its next-gen console. Last July, for example, the Nintendo boss told investors that one of its countermeasures being put into place was to "produce the number [of units] that can meet the customers' needs firmly, and this idea has not changed from last year."
That's easy to say (even with a rough Google translation), but it's notable that the Switch OLED launch came at a time when a global pandemic and chip shortage were ravaging the technology industry as a whole. Even the original Switch was hard to come by during that time.
The other reason for cautious optimism is that Nintendo reportedly delayed the Switch 2 launch. The same outlet previously claimed that Nintendo had intended to release the Switch 2 in 2024, but pushed the launch into 2025 so it could have more units available.
Whether that's entirely true or not, we have no way of knowing. We suspect there were other factors at play as well, but the added lead time could only help the situation. However, it may not alleviate it entirely. It's worth noting that Nintendo made similar promises ahead of the original Switch release in 2017, saying it planned on flooding the market with 2 million units so as not to repeat the same situation that played out with the NES Classic. There was still a shortage.
As for pricing, Furukawa said Nintendo will "consider the affordability customers expect" from the company, according comments translated by VGC, which spotted the interview. Make of that what you will. As points of reference, the Switch OLED can be found on sale for $302 at Amazon (14% off), while the original Switch is listed at $285 (5% off). Current MSRPs on both are at $349.99 and $299.99, respectively.
