Nintendo Switch
Update, 5/3: It’s been interesting to watch stock fluctuate on both the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch Lite over the past few weeks, and this weekend it seems like real progress is being made on the Switch Lite. We got new stock at a range of places going into the weekend, including Amazon: they won’t ship until mid month, but at least you can order them. It’s Sunday now, and you can still buy one, more or less. Some colors are sold out in their base SKU, some won’t ship until mid-month, and there are various other fluctuations in availability. But if you want to plunk down money for a Switch lite at this moment, you can do it, even at MSRP.
This would suggest that resellers just aren’t having as much luck selling the Switch Lite as the standard model console. It’s still in high demand, or we wouldn’t see the scattered sellouts that we’re seeing now. But the phenomenon of not being able to find a standard Switch anywhere less then $450 or so is driven by resellers using bots to snatch up new inventory the millisecond its made available, and there just doesn’t seem to be that same level of pressure with the Switch Lite.
Original Story:
We’re now two-ish months into quarantine, depending on where you are, and the Nintendo Switch hasn’t gotten any easier to find. The hybrid portable/living room console became a smash hit early on as people both sought new activities to while away quarantined hours for both themselves and their children and to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Nintendo’s surprising smash hit life simulator. While the company is reported to be increasing production and has said that more stock is on the way, the console remains difficult to find.
Here’s the truth: the Nintendo Switch is unlikely to be easy to find at MSRP for a long time now. That’s both because of the aforementioned demand and because price-gougers have taken over the marketplace using bots to snag any online availability and then shipping them over to Amazon and eBay at an inflated price point that seems to hover around $500. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that phyiscal retail is closed nearly everywhere right now, so you can’t expect to get around the bots by showing up in-person.
If you live in a state where restrictions are starting to ease, there’s a chance that a retailer selling Switches might open up. Some, like Target and Walmart, have been open throughout the crisis as essential businesses, but even then stock has been near-impossible to find. As things ease up, physical retail will be an easier place to find new consoles than online, but remember to be safe, to wear a mask, and to practice social distancing.
If you absolutely want a new console right now, you likely have no choice than to get one from a reseller at a significant markup.
You should be reminded, however, that the base model Switch is not the only machine in this console family. Nintendo released the Switch Lite last fall, and it’s a capable little handheld. You can’t play it on the TV, and the side controllers don’t come off for multiplayer action. It’s less than ideal if you want to play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with the family, but it’s great if you’re trying to get your kid something to do.
Switch Lite comes in and out of stock from time to time, but it’s available right now at Amazon.
Even if you’re remiss to get the “budget” console, it’s worth considering either for a child or for yourself. It’s more portable for anyone with a public transit commute, for one thing, and it plays everything that the Switch plays. Other than that, you’ll need to wait or shell out.
