Nintendo Switch console production cut by 20% through 2022, here’s how to get one under the tree this year

It’s going to be even harder to score a Nintendo Switch console for the holidays than initially expected. If you had your eye on a shiny new Nintendo Switch console to put under the tree this year, standard, OLED, or otherwise, new details from Nikkei Asia suggest it’s just going to get more and more difficult over the next few months and into next year. Head below for more details on the expected Nintendo Switch console shortage and how to score one right now. 

Nintendo has done relatively well 2021, despite the ongoing chip shortages that seem to be one of the leading causes behind its consoles becoming so elusive. The Super Mario 3D World re-release sold nearly 6 million copies and Metroid Dread just launched to rave reviews and killer sales numbers, just to name a few. Although it just released its new OLED version of the Switch console, which disappeared from store shelves in minutes, it sounds like the company will be hoping for major software sales over the next quarter or so to keep things on the upward trend.  

Reports out of Asia suggest Nintendo is preparing for a major drop in production on its Switch consoles from now through March 2022, presumably leaving it to rely heavily on the existing player base and upcoming Pokemon releases. Nintendo will be making 20% fewer consoles through the end of the fiscal year, which may not sound like a lot, but we are talking about roughly 24 million less units on the street here. 

Looking to score one now, just in case? Well, that’s not exactly the easiest of propositions at the moment. But there are some notable options currently in stock and we will update this post as more listings come available:

• Nintendo Switch Grey Joy-Con $300
• Nintendo Switch refurbished consoles from $280
• Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing Edition $300
• Nintendo Switch Lite $200
  • Best Buy or Target

gadgetnewsonline’ Take:

The Switch console is already on pace to be Nintendo’s best-selling console, having already moved 90 million units and getting particularly close to the whopping 102 million units the Wii clocked in. But it appears that the shortages are taking hold as Switch just got bumped out of its 33-month reign at the top of the sales chart as of October 1, 2021. Let’s just hope we see more OLED listings and consoles readily available, at least to some degree, as we move towards the holiday shopping season. Your best bet to guarantee there’s one under the tree this year is likely the options above.