Nintendo’s Switch 2 is off to a roaring start, so much so that even Nintendo itself seems caught off guard.
In a recent meeting with investors, company president Shuntaro Furukawa admitted the demand has ‘greatly exceeded expectations,’ leading to shortages in many regions.
Furukawa shared that the company received over 2.2 million applications for Switch 2 units during the initial lottery sale on the My Nintendo Store. Despite holding four separate lottery rounds, many fans are still empty-handed. A fifth lottery is scheduled to begin in July as Nintendo continues ramping up production.
“We are working to improve our production system,” Furukawa stated, apologizing directly to customers and even shareholders who’ve struggled to find the console in stores.
Japan in particular has seen overwhelming demand, with retailers overwhelmed and online stock disappearing instantly. Although some physical stores are starting to offer in-person sales, the process remains difficult and inconsistent across regions.
Despite these hurdles, the Switch 2 has already sold over 3.5 million units in just four days, doubling the original Switch’s debut numbers. Industry analysts have noticed: DFC Intelligence bumped its 2025 sales forecast to 16 million units. Without the supply issues, they say Nintendo could easily move 20 million.
Interestingly, while many scramble for a unit, some players note the resale market hasn’t inflated wildly-suggesting Nintendo may be doing a slightly better job than rivals like Sony and Microsoft during their console launches. Still, frustration remains high among eager buyers who’ve yet to secure a console, and skepticism lingers over just how ‘unexpected’ this high demand truly was.