
Nintendo Switch 2 likely to remain scarce until next spring: analysts
Console sells twice as fast as original in first few days, but demand could slow

Nintendo's Switch 2 game console, which is selling at a record pace and remains elusive in shops a month after its release, may not become easier to purchase until the spring, say analysts who project sales of 18 million to 20 million units this fiscal year.
Nintendo's official online store in Japan began accepting applications for a fifth lottery sale of the Switch 2 on Wednesday. Many people who lost previous lotteries appear to be applying, but a mood of resignation pervades social media, with some complaining that they keep striking out no matter how many times they apply.
Some major Japanese retailers like Yodobashi Camera have started first-come, first-served sales in shops, but with strict conditions such as limiting the offer to store credit card holders.
Nintendo aims to sell 15 million units in the 10 months from the June 5 launch to the end of fiscal 2025 -- matching the 10-month total from the release of the original Switch -- but analysts call this figure conservative.
Toyo Securities senior analyst Hideki Yasuda and UBS Securities analyst Zhai Yijia see sales in the first month after the release totaling 6 million units.
Yasuda predicts sales of 20 million units in fiscal 2025 while Zhai projects 18 million, indicating a range exceeding sales of the first Switch by 20% to 30%.
Both analysts predict it will be next spring or later before obtaining the Switch 2 at Japanese retailers becomes easier.