Possible Nintendo Switch Shortages in 2021

The Nintendo Switch might have some supply shortages in 2021, thanks to a global shortage of semiconductors.

Credit: Eric Mclean on Unsplash

Nintendo President Shunkaro Furukawa stated in an exclusive interview with Nikkei’s Sanyo Shimbun that although they were able to secure enough semiconductors for “immediate production,” there is still a possibility that the Nintendo Switch could experience supply shortages in 2021 due to significant demand.

“We have been able to secure the necessary materials for the immediate production of semiconductors for Switches,” Furukawa said. “However, 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.” Furukawa also added that it is difficult for him to explain how the company will deal with the potential shortage. “… in some cases, we may not be able to prepare enough for orders.”

Nintendo, like Sony and Microsoft, is among the many victims of the recent semiconductor shortage the global market has been experiencing since the start of the pandemic. The shortage happened due to three things: a sudden huge demand for consumer electronics as people work or study at home at the onset of the pandemic, structural changes within semiconductor companies and former President Donald Trump’s trade war with China.

Nintendo of America HQ Credit: NIntendo

The shortage and the seemingly limited semiconductor supply Nintendo has could affect the release of the rumoured “Switch Pro”, as analysts dubbed the project.

According to reports from Pocket-Lint and Bloomberg, the Switch Pro will be equipped with a 7-inch 720p resolution OLED display with 4K output to TVs, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of onboard storage, better battery life and a thinner bezel. The Switch Pro’s release was speculated to be on June 2021, however, with the current situation of Nintendo’s semiconductor supply, the release date might be moved to a later one.

It seems that the Nintendo Switch is headed for unknown territory regardless of the Switch Pro’s status. However, if you were able to get a Nintendo Switch for yourself, then check out our guide on how to set it up so that you have access to the E-Shop!

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Written by John Paul Joaquin