Key Takeaways
1. The Switch 2 has received 2.2 million lottery requests in Japan, indicating strong interest and potential for record-breaking sales.
2. Pre-orders began on April 24th in the US, with estimates suggesting up to 6.6 million pre-orders globally by the June 5th release.
3. The Switch 2 is expected to surpass the initial sales of the PS5 and PS4 if Nintendo can meet demand, despite concerns about supply shortages in Japan.
4. Nintendo is working to build inventory and combat scalpers, having sent over a million units to the US by the end of February, while keeping the Switch 2’s price stable.
5. Predictions indicate that the Switch 2 could sell 20 million units in its first year, surpassing the original Switch’s launch record of 15.1 million.
There has been a clear interest for the Switch 2, especially shown by new figures from Japan. The company noted 2.2 million lottery requests to secure the console from the Japanese Nintendo Store. An updated report from Bloomberg suggests that the handheld might become the biggest console launch ever, thanks to its pre-order sales.
Pre-Order Insights
Pre-orders for the Switch 2 kicked off on April 24th in the US, where some customers are still feeling let down, even with rumors of a good supply. However, even without solid figures from North America, the Switch 2 seems set to break records. Pelham Smithers Associates estimates that Japan makes up about a third of global demand. Therefore, Nintendo could gather as many as 6.6 million pre-orders before the release on June 5th.
Comparing Sales
The PS5 moved between 2.1 and 2.5 million units in its first two weeks, while the PS4 also had similar figures, with 2.1 million consoles sold in the same timeframe. The Switch 2 could easily surpass both of these, as long as Nintendo can meet the high demand. Nintendo’s President, Shuntaro Furukawa, indicated that the company might not have enough supply in Japan.
Inventory Efforts
Worried about scalpers, Nintendo is attempting to build a large stock of consoles. Reports suggest that the company sent over a million units to the US by the end of February. They are still increasing production, but tariffs from China have made pre-ordering the Switch 2 more complicated. After some delays, the gaming giant chose not to raise the price of the Switch 2, although the price for accessories has gone up.
Future Projections
Takashi Mochizuki from Bloomberg shared on social media that the Switch 2 could sell 20 million consoles in its first year. This would beat the original Switch’s record of 15.1 million units after its launch in 2017 and is higher than some earlier predictions.
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