DFC Intelligence expects the Nintendo Switch to sell 40 million units by the end of the year 2020. However, the research firm added that the forecast was still a conservative one, with the poor track record of Nintendo when launching new products cited as one of the reasons.
One issue that Nintendo will likely encounter with the launch of the Nintendo Switch is the availability of the hybrid console. When various retailers started taking preorders for the Nintendo Switch last month, they all sold out very quickly, leading to the belief that Nintendo will not have an adequate supply of the hybrid console ready for the expected demand on its March 3 global release date.
Nintendo Switch Preorders Availability
Gamers can test their luck and simply try to line up and purchase the Nintendo Switch on March 3, but sending in a preorder is an easier and surefire way of receiving the console on that day. However, when preorders were launched at GameStop, Walmart, Amazon, Target, and Best Buy last month, the slots were all filled up almost immediately.
On Feb. 3, Best Buy was able to replenish its stock of preorders for the Nintendo Switch, though the retailer said that there were only limited quantities available for the hybrid console.
With limited quantities, there were expectations that the new preorder stock of Best Buy would not last through the weekend. However, perhaps as a signal of just how high the demand is for the Nintendo Switch, the preorders were all snapped up after just an hour.
Gamers who have not yet been able to send in a preorder for the Nintendo Switch likely have signed up for notifications across various retailers to be informed when stocks of the hybrid console are replenished. Once Best Buy notified customers that preorders were once again open for the Nintendo Switch, there was no chance that the stocks would last.
What This Means For The Nintendo Switch
With the demand for the Nintendo Switch having reached such epic proportions, it means that the hybrid console might likely follow through on the belief of Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime that it will be much more successful compared to its predecessor, the Nintendo Wii U.
That said, for Nintendo to be able to capitalize on the massive hype surrounding the Nintendo Switch, it will have to do better in providing gamers with an adequate supply of the hybrid console.
The success of Nintendo's retro console, the NES Classic Edition, has been hampered due to the shortage in the supply of the device, causing many gamers to worry that the same problem will hound the Nintendo Switch. Fils-Aime, however, claims that the hybrid console will not encounter the same supply shortage as the NES Classic Edition, despite the fact that there will only be 2 million units of the Nintendo Switch available upon launch.
A report earlier in the week revealed that Nintendo has ceased production of the Nintendo Wii U worldwide, with the focus shifting toward preparing more units of the Nintendo Switch. With preorders at Best Buy sold out after just an hour, Nintendo's ramped up production of the Nintendo Switch should make sure that gamers can look forward to more units of the hybrid console entering the market sooner rather than later.
