Gamers across Japan and around the world lined up eagerly on Thursday for the official release of the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, with analysts predicting the next-generation console will be in short supply for weeks or even months due to overwhelming demand.
In Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district, dozens of lucky lottery winners from electronics giant Bic Camera’s sales draw were seen queuing before sunrise to collect their consoles. Among them was Yumi Ohi, a 30-year-old delivery contractor who had traveled from Saitama prefecture after multiple failed attempts to secure the device. “I feel like I’m going to cry,” she told Reuters, clutching her newly acquired Switch 2.
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Priced at $499.99, the Switch 2 is Nintendo’s follow-up to the original hybrid gaming device that revolutionized portable console gaming since its 2017 debut. With 152 million units sold, the original Switch became a cultural phenomenon, boosted by hit titles like The Legend of Zelda series and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
The Switch 2 features a larger screen, enhanced graphics, and launches with flagship titles such as Mario Kart World. Industry analysts say its improvements and the massive user base of the original console will fuel record-breaking early sales. “The level of demand seems to be sky-high,” said Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games.
Nintendo reportedly received 2.2 million lottery applications in Japan alone through its My Nintendo Store, and pre-orders at Target sold out in under two hours in the U.S.
Despite past challenges during global trade disruptions under the Trump administration, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said the company is strengthening production capacity to meet demand, aiming to exceed its forecast of 15 million Switch 2 units sold in the current fiscal year.
Still, analysts caution that supply may remain tight. “You are looking at weeks or months until you can walk into a store and buy a Switch 2,” Toto warned.
For now, lucky fans like Shinichi Sekiguchi, a hotel receptionist who snagged the console on launch day, are reveling in the moment. “Given it’s a special occasion, I wanted to buy it right away on its release date.”
