A Boon For Nintendo? Switches Are Sold Out Everywhere

If you’re thinking about grabbing a Nintendo NTDOY Switch to help keep you busy during the pandemic, you might be out of luck. The console is currently unavailable at major retailers including Amazon AMZN, Best Buy BBY, GameStop GME and Walmart WMT. 

The pandemic, combined with the release of “Animal Crossing: New Horizons,” has made the Switch a must-have.

Amazon Says It Monitors Pricing

Third-party sellers are raising prices far above Nintendo’s $299 retail price. Prices have reached nearly $500 on Amazon and eBay Inc EBAY, mimicking the price gouging trend seen with sales of toilet paper and health equipment like N95 masks. 

“Sellers set their own product prices in our store and we have policies to help ensure sellers are pricing their products competitively," an Amazon spokesperson told Digital Trends.

"We actively monitor our store and remove offers that violate our policies. We have implemented additional measures to keep prices low and our global teams are working 24/7 to monitor prices in our store."

Quarantine A Reason To Turn On Switch

The only other way to get your hands on the Nintendo Switch is to hunt for the Switch Lite. The Lite is a smaller, handheld-only version of the Switch that’s also cheaper — it retails at $200.

Unlike the primary version of the Nintendo Switch, the Lite cannot be docked and played on a TV, and with most people gaming at home, this might not be an attractive purchase.

But for those who have been able to play, it’s been a lifeline during quarantine.

Andee Jones, a health care worker in Tennessee, isn’t new to gaming, but said the coronavirus pandemic has given her an excuse to dust off her Switch.

“I just got one at Christmas but have really just started having time to play it thanks to being home now. It’s nice to finally have time to catch up on the games I have started and never completed, but it is also fun to teach our 3-year-old how to start playing games too.”

It’s also a way to return to the games she played during her childhood.

“I chose the Switch over my other consoles because Nintendo was a big part of my childhood, and it's fun to catch up with familiar games and characters I love so much. The Switch is also family-friendly enough that all of us can use it easily and play together.”

Nintendo Says More Consoles On The Way

Renée Reynosa, streamer and Twitch partner, has also taken advantage of the Switch. 

“As a primarily PC gamer and streamer, I enjoy the portability of it. Most of the time, I’m stuck playing games at my desk, even on off-stream hours, and it’s not comfortable or nearly as fun. The Switch makes it easy to just pop it off the stand in my office and take it with me to my living room couch.” 

The Switch is selling out at various retail locations, but more are on the way, according to Nintendo.  

"We apologize for any inconvenience."

Over-the-counter Nintendo shares finished Thursday's session 0.1% higher at $48.50. 

Public domain photo via Wikimedia.