Some players are afraid that scalpers will buy up the Nintendo Switch 2, just like happened with the PS5. However, Nintendo’s president believes that anyone who wants to buy a console will be able to get a Switch 2.
In a Q&A meeting with Nintendo’s shareholders, Nintendo’s president Shuntaro Furukawa was asked if the company has any plans to combat attempts by dealers to resell their upcoming console.
This refers to scalpers who buy up devices to sell them at a higher price afterwards. This happened with the release of the PS5, where the PS5 was sometimes resold for double the price.
Nintendo’s president replied that this should not be a problem at all. This was reported by the magazine Gamingbible.com. They will simply produce such a large number of Nintendo Switch 2 consoles that they will always be in stock. This would make the Switch 2 not attractive enough for scalpers.
The supply chains are stable and the problem with semiconductors is reportedly resolved
What have been the problems in recent months? According to Furukawa, there have been recurring issues with the supply chains of certain components in the past. However, this should not be a problem this time. Furukawa explains in the conversation with investors:
Last year and the year before, we were unable to produce sufficient quantities of Nintendo Switch hardware due to a shortage of semiconductor components, but this situation has now been resolved. (…) Currently, we do not believe that the shortage of components will have a significant impact on the production of the successor model.
This means: Once the Nintendo Switch 2 is officially available in stores, it should be so readily available that you don’t have to worry about being without a console in the end. At least if Nintendo’s president is right.
Problems with semiconductors caused hardware shortages for years
Anyone who wanted to buy a game console, graphics card, or processor in recent years (2021 to 2023) had to pay high prices. The few available models were often bought up by resellers (“scalpers”) to resell them for a significantly higher price.
Meanwhile, the market has normalized again and you can purchase PS5 consoles directly from retail. This primarily affects scalpers, who are now left with their dozens of PS5 consoles. The price of graphics cards, however, has also remained high in 2024.
What was the cause of this? Due to delivery difficulties in semiconductors, which were partly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, production in semiconductors declined. Semiconductors are found in almost every electronic device, from graphics cards to game consoles. In addition to hardware manufacturers that produce consoles, smartphones, or computers, car manufacturers have also had to deal with problems.
How do they plan to prevent this? The problems are also one reason why the USA and the EU want to become more independent from the semiconductor industry in Asia. Because if the supply chain collapses there, hundreds of products are affected.
Research is already underway for an alternative to semiconductors and the silicon used. Initial ideas and tests are promising. However, it may take some time before the new developments are truly market-ready: A small discovery could make new graphics cards and processors much faster than ever before
