Nintendo Is "Making Preparations" To Discourage Potential Switch 2 Scalpers

With the Switch 2 launching this year, Nintendo has confirmed that it is preparing to prevent scalpers from negatively impacting the release of its hybrid console. In a press conference, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said that the company would take all "possible measures" for the Switch 2 to produce enough stock to meet demand.

"We will take all possible measures based on the experience we have accumulated to date," Furukawa said to Nikkei (via VGC). "We are making preparations."

While the Switch was popular when it first launched in 2017 and stock did sell quickly, it wasn't until the COVID pandemic that demand quickly outpaced supply. Combined with the global semiconductor shortage at the time, the Switch became a sought-after item at the start of 2020, with resellers using the opportunity to buy up available stock and make a profit.

Scalpers were a major issue for Microsoft and Sony as well, as the late-2020 launch of the Xbox Series X|S and PS5 consoles saw chronic shortages thanks to resellers using bots to grab all of the consoles whenever a resupply came in through online marketplaces.

Furukawa had previously mentioned that Nintendo's strategy for dealing with scalpers revolves around a healthy supply of Switch 2 consoles for its official launch this year. "As a countermeasure against resale, we believe that the most important thing is to produce a sufficient number to meet customer demand, and this idea has not changed since last year," Furukawa said in 2024.

More details on the Switch 2 will be revealed in a Nintendo Direct scheduled for April, and for anyone looking to go hands-on with the device, you can do so at the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 Experience. Predictably, tickets for the event have cropped up on auction sites, but you'll want to avoid buying one as they're non-transferable.

In more Nintendo news, the company is in a "stable" position despite having a bad sales year, and several big games like Metroid Prime 4 and Pokemon Legends Z-A will be released in 2025.