Nintendo Switch stock is about to get a lot harder to find

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Semiconductor shortages continue to wreak havoc on console production

Nintendo Switch Pro stock shortages
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Nintendo president has warns fans that the Nintendo Switch stock could run into the same semiconductor supply shortages as PS5 and Xbox Series X making the hybrid console tricky to find.  

Speaking to Nikkei (via VGC), Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa broke the news that while the system isn't having any production issues just yet, the ongoing demand and shortage of parts is going to become an obstacle. What's more, there doesn't seem to be a solution on the horizon, meaning it might not be long before the Switch consoles are as difficult to get hold of as the new gaming hardware from Sony and Microsoft.  

"We have been able to secure the necessary materials for the immediate production of semiconductors for switches,” he told Nikkei. “However, in Japan and other countries, demand has been very strong since the beginning of the year, and there is a possibility of shortages at some retailers in the future.

"It is difficult to say how we will deal with this, but in some cases we may not be able to prepare enough for orders.”

Since the pandemic hit last year, the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite have become must-have devices to keep us entertained during lockdown. Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched at the onset in March, 2020, and quickly became a medium through which players could socialize and keep in touch. It even spawned web talk show Animal Talking, hosted by Gary Whitta, featuring guests like Danny Trejo, Selene Gomez, and Elijah Wood. 

As well as Nintendo IPs, the system has ports of popular titles like The Witcher 3, Skyrim, and Doom. With new titles rolling out last year, filling in the gap between console generations, the popularity of the Switch continued to grow. The system is still very much in demand, and it's only going to get harder to find as we head towards onwards in 2021.

Shabana Arif
Shabana Arif

Shabana is T3's News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). As well as contributing to Tom's Guide, she's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies.