Nintendo warns of possible Nintendo Switch 2 stock shortages in Japan

Nintendo recently launched a pre-order lottery for folks in Japan keen to purchase the Nintendo Switch 2. While it was designed to canvas interest and help players secure a console, it seems it’s also now revealed Nintendo may not have enough consoles to cover demand in the country, as a whopping 2.2 million people applied for the lottery system.

Per Nintendo, it doesn’t have that many consoles, and frankly, it’s “astonished” the number is so high. In a statement posted to X, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has issued an apology, and confirmed the number of people wanting to buy a Switch 2 “far exceeded [its] prior expectations and greatly surpassed the number of Nintendo Switch 2 units [the company] can deliver from the My Nintendo Store on June 5.”

Furukawa has confirmed those applicants who didn’t make it into the original lottery pool have been put into a secondary lottery, but he has cautioned that a lack of stock will mean not everyone gets a Switch 2 in the initial release. At the very least, Furukawa has confirmed that other Japanese retailers will soon have pre-orders open, so those keen may have other avenues for securing stock shortly.

Even with this caveat, it appears Nintendo has not accounted for such high demand within Japan, and so some players may need to wait patiently for restocks. To that end, Nintendo is working to increase and “strengthen” its production system moving forward.

Read: The Nintendo Switch 2 Experience is a must-see attraction

Nintendo Switch 2 preorders differ wildly around the world

Notably, it does appear the pre-order situation is wildly different across global regions. In Australia, for example, pre-orders have been live for several weeks and remain freely available across major retailers. For now, there doesn’t appear to be any major stock concerns, and while that may change as we head towards the console’s release date, the situation remains stable.

In the United States, preorders haven’t begun yet, due to the evolving US tariff situation – but they will begin on 24 April 2025 (EST/PST). It does appear there is some anxiety about these preorders, with many folks keen to secure their console as early as possible – if only to avoid a potential tariff-inspired price rise in future. It could be that the situation in Japan inspires a run on pre-orders, as those keen to gets hand-on look to avoid potential stock shortages.

We’ll have to wait to see how these preorders pan out, although it’s worth noting Nintendo has reportedly been bulking up US stock of the Nintendo Switch 2 over a number of months. Given the unprecedented interest in the console in Japan, it’s unclear whether existing stock will be enough – but only time will tell.