In brief: It seems Nintendo is so certain that there will be Switch 2 shortages, it's sending "Out of Stock" signs to US stores ahead of the console's official release. This comes as several retailers in multiple countries cancel customer pre-orders without explanation.
Redditor Alternative_Basket19, who says he works in the "warehouse side of things," posted an image of the Switch 2 Out of Stock sign, noting that they came to the store directly from Nintendo.
It's not as if this is hubris on Nintendo's part. Retailers are likely to be inundated with questions from customers about Switch 2 availability, so a sign like this one should result in fewer inquiries.
Beyond the benefits for retail employees, the signs are also a way of promoting the Switch 2. It's pointed out that some people might not even be aware of the console's release, so the signs show that it's not only here, but also incredibly popular.
| Rank | Console | Launch date | Fiscal year-end | Units sold in that fiscal year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nintendo Switch | 3 Mar 2017 | 31 Mar 2018 (Nintendo FY 2017) | 15.05 million | Nintendo earnings Q4 FY 2017 |
| 2 | PlayStation 5 | 12 Nov 2020 | 31 Mar 2021 (Sony FY 2020) | 7.8 million | Sony earnings Q4 FY 2020 |
| 3 | PlayStation 4 | 15 Nov 2013 | 31 Mar 2014 (Sony FY 2013) | 7.0 million | Sony earnings Q4 FY 2013 |
| 4 | Xbox Series X|S | 10 Nov 2020 | 30 Jun 2021 (Microsoft FY 2021) | 4.5 million (est.) | IDC / Ampere estimates |
| 5 | Nintendo Wii | 19 Nov 2006 | 31 Mar 2007 (Nintendo FY 2006) | 5.84 million | Nintendo earnings Q4 FY 2006 |
Despite producing and sitting on inventory for a year and locking pre-orders behind a Nintendo Online subscription, Nintendo had to apologize in April when demand for the Switch 2 overwhelmed supply in Japan. Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said 2.2 million people applied for its My Nintendo pre-order lottery, far exceeding its ability to deliver.
There have also been reports on social media of gamers in the US having their Switch 2 orders cancelled by retailers such as Walmart and Target. Several say that the systems blamed payment errors for the cancelations, even though they had the funds available.
Got these signs in from Nintendo, they got jokes 🤣
byu/Alternative_Basket19 inNintendoSwitch2
In the UK, retailer GAME, which has experienced plenty of problems in recent times, canceled a large number of Switch 2 preorders without explanation. The company later said it was aiming to reinstate as many affected pre-orders as possible.
The Switch 2 launched on June 5 (this Thursday). For those who missed out on securing a pre-order, GameStop and Best Buy have said they will have more stock available in stores and online, though they'll only be available at launch.
Nintendo forecasts that it will sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles in its launch year. That's only slightly less than the 15.05 million the original Switch managed, which is a record for a console.