Nintendo Switch shortages at retailers will likely continue, warns president

Nintendo Switch Mario Red and Blue Edition — (Image credit: Nintendo)

The Nintendo Switch will likely remain hard to find in 2021, the company's president has warned.

In a new interview with Nikkei (translated by VGC), Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa commented on the high demand for the Switch. "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," the president said.

This is despite the fact that Nintendo has "been able to secure the necessary materials for the immediate production of semiconductors for switches," according to Furukawa. While it's clear from Furukawa's comments that Nintendo Switch models can begin production immediately, there likely still won't be enough to go around. "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," Furukawa concluded.

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It's not just the Nintendo Switch that we've seen in short supply over the past few months. In January, AMD CEO Lisa Sui stated that short supply of both the PS5 and Xbox Series X would likely continue into at least the second half of 2021. AMD manufactures chips for both Sony and Microsoft's next-gen consoles, and although Sui said that they were "getting great support from our manufacturing partners" for chips for both consoles, "some tightness" was still to be expected.

Of course, Nintendo will need plenty of manufacturing parts to go around later this year, if the rumors of the Nintendo Switch Pro are accurate. Various reports from multiple outlets have claimed an upgraded model of the Switch is in production since last year, and although Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser shot down the reports late last year in December, a new report earlier this year claimed Nintendo is aiming to release the Switch Pro later this year. With or without an upgraded console launching later this year, it's clear Nintendo is eyeing up sustained demand for the Switch throughout the year.

If you're still trying to get your hands on Nintendo's console, head over to our guide on the best Nintendo Switch bundle for more.

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.