In context: The Nintendo Switch hasn't been impacted by the chip shortage quite as severely as the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and graphics cards, but the company's president has warned that could change from next month.
While the latest consoles from Microsoft and Sony remain incredibly difficult to find outside of eBay, where you can expect to pay scalper prices, the Nintendo Switch has fared better throughout most of the global crisis; various models are currently available on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Newegg, etc.
But Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa warns that Nintendo Switch devices could soon face the same availability issues as so many other consumer electronic goods. According to Japanese newspaper Kyoto NP, Furukawa said that supply of the Switch may stagnate at the beginning of 2022 due to the chip shortage and the disruption of global logistics.
The Nintendo Switch was the best-selling hardware platform in terms of both units sold and dollars generated in November and 2021 year-to-date. The hybrid has also been the top-selling video game system for 35 out of the previous 36 months. But despite those impressive stats, Nintendo last month lowered its sales forecast for the Switch from 25.5 million to 24 million as a result of the semiconductor shortage.
News of the Switch's potential availability problems will be a blow to Nintendo fans, especially as the handheld is quickly closing in on the Wii's 101.63 million lifetime sales. It will doubtlessly beat that number, but it might take a little longer than expected.
If you're considering purchasing a Switch, perhaps with some Christmas money or vouchers, the wise move would probably be to buy one now before they become difficult to find in stock.