The coronavirus has had a major impact on the world, as countries continue to take precautions against the virus. Those precautions have had substantial effects on travel and manufacturing– effects that will lead to shortages of many products, including the Nintendo Switch.
Despite initially claiming that the coronavirus wouldn't significantly affect the Switch's availability in the west, a new report claims that the global supply of the Nintendo Switch could hit a rough patch as soon as April. This is due to supply limitations in China, which is affecting Nintendo's ability to get parts to a partnered manufacturing plant in Vietnam.
Previously, the Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch bundle had been delayed in Japan due to the coronavirus, though western availability was not impacted. This led to concerns of global delays from fans, though Nintendo issued a statement claiming that this wouldn't be the case. However, it appears that is no longer true. Nintendo Switch shipments for February and March shouldn't be impacted, as those consoles have already departed, but shipments beyond that, including in April, may be less regular, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Nintendo Switch sales have been great since the console's launch, with the company rebounding from the failure of the Wii U fairly rapidly. With a strong line up of software on the system, there's something to appeal to both long-time and new Nintendo fans on the console. However, the delays are an unfortunate side effect of a very real global issue.
Coronavirus has impacted large swathes of the world, leading to many events globally being canceled– including eSports events. The issue has created concerns among gamers that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X may be delayed due to the disease, which continues to ravage parts of the world.
Those that have been eyeing a Nintendo Switch may want to pick one up now. If the availability of the console really is heavily impacted, it will get increasingly difficult to find one at retail, most likely leading to resellers raising prices online.
Hopefully, the coronavirus will be dealt with soon. Beyond the regular supply shortages that inherently come with a major disease outbreak, there are plenty of other humanitarian issues that arise, which carry far graver consequences than not being able to play Animal Crossing.Â
Source: Bloomberg
