The release of the Nintendo Switch 2 has sparked a frenzy in Japan, as it continues to be sold only through a lottery system. Despite launching on June 5, eager gamers are facing a major hurdle in securing the highly sought-after console. This high demand has led to an influx of Switch 2 listings flooding online marketplaces like Mercari Japan, where many are resold at inflated prices.
However, amid the chaos, some creative users have taken the opportunity to prank others with parody listings for “Switch 2” light switches. The trend seems to have started last week, with wall-mounted light switches being sold as “Switch 2-ko,” which translates to “two switches” in Japanese-a play on the console’s name. The most outrageous of these listings includes a cardboard version priced at 67,000 yen ($465), humorously labeled as the “Nintendo Switch 2 (Domestic/Japanese language version) Console,” with the description reading: “I have no idea how you are supposed to play it.”
The joke quickly caught on, with users commenting things like, “Please reduce the price to under 50,000 yen. I want a Switch 2-ko” and “Do you have a Switch 3?” The overwhelming demand for the real Switch 2 has caused it to be resold at prices anywhere from 69,000 yen ($479) to over 120,000 yen ($834), driving some fans to make dramatic comparisons to Japan’s rice shortage, which has similarly led to inflated prices and panic buying.
One such post reads, “For my daughter! I was going to buy a Switch 2, but I decided to stockpile rice instead! I gave up (on the Switch 2) to buy suuuuper old rice!” This humorous juxtaposition highlights the lengths some are willing to go to in their quest for the elusive console.
Along with the light switch parody listings, more legitimate offers for “a couple of switches” have appeared in Switch 2 searches, amusing social media users who shared their reactions like: “I was looking at Mercari thinking, ‘Switch 2 is really getting resold,’ when I saw this and snorted.”
As Nintendo works to combat scalpers, Mercari Japan has placed a warning on its site advising users to be cautious about price gouging when purchasing the Switch 2. Despite these efforts, the Switch 2 continues to break records globally, with 3.5 million units sold in just four days, making it the fastest-selling Nintendo hardware ever.
2 comments
I was about to buy a Switch 2 from Mercari but ended up buying some old rice instead 🤷♀️
Mercari’s really got some nerve with these fake Switch 2 listings 🤣, but the demand is wild