Recap: Nintendo's Switch handheld console is still sold out at most retailers, a perfect storm of immense demand and limited supply driven in part by the Coronavirus pandemic. That's likely to remain the case for at least a while longer as stimulus payments are now hitting bank accounts and lockdown orders have yet to lift.
Rather than play the waiting game or pay a premium on a third-party marketplace, one enthusiast decided to build his own Switch.
Imgur user sarbaaz37 outlined the process on the image sharing site. Outraged by the high prices that scalpers were charging for systems on sites like eBay and Craigslist, the user told friends he could build one for less money out of spare parts... so they commissioned him to do just that.
The entire process took a little over a month which included time to search for inexpensive sellers, bid on parts and wait for them to be delivered from China. The total bill of materials was just $199 - even less than the cost of a retail Switch without markup.
As mentioned, the build log has been posted over on Imgur but note - it's not for the faint of heart. You'll need at least a decent understanding of electronics and perhaps a bit of luck to be successful (hopefully none of the used parts you source arrive DOA).
In the end, sarbaaz37 said it was worth it in the end as it was a fun project that kept him busy during the quarantine without breaking the bank.
Masthead credit: Kelleher Bros, all others via sarbaaz37