With the likes of the COVID-19 pandemic causing millions of people to go into lockdown, the gaming industry has arguably seen a boon as more and more people turn to their PCs and consoles for solace. The Switch is just one example of this, which saw the hybrid console surpass a sales milestone recently, with sales reaching nearly 85 million units. However, the pandemic has also had an adverse effect on gaming and tech hardware in general.
In a recent interview, Nintendo president, Shuntaro Furukawa, confirmed that the global shortage of semiconductors is beginning to hamper the production of the Switch. With the technological recession biting hard, he admitted that the company may be unable to produce as many consoles as it would ordinarily like. He also added that there was an "uncertainty" in terms of Nintendo's capabilities in terms of making and shipping Switch consoles. For those who don't know, semiconductors are an integral component in the manufacturing of tech products. Made from silicon, they conduct electricity and are used in the manufacturing of electronic circuits for a whole host of industries.
This news comes shortly after speculations that supplies of the Switch would inevitably become low. At the time, Furukawa did say that the company had enough parts to continue production for the immediate future. This means that Nintendo may be standing side-by-side with both Microsoft and Sony who's new-gen consoles have also been difficult to get hold of for similar reasons.
The short supply of semiconductors means that gaming is being affected across the board. Everything from home consoles to graphics cards are becoming hard to come by as consumers twiddle their metaphorical thumbs in anticipation of stock becoming available again. However, this could go on for some time with reports indicating that shortages may last until 2023. The situation has become so bad for some that they've taken things into their own hands, such as the fan who built their own Switch console last year.
Despite this, the Switch is doing remarkably well. With it being one of the biggest selling consoles in the world at the moment, a lot of that can be attested to the sheer popularity of Animal Crossing: New Leaf which is selling so many copies during the pandemic that it's partly responsible for the overall console shortages alongside the issues with semiconductors. Nintendo's president has assured people that the company is doing everything it can, adding that earnings forecasts are based on whether it can get hold of the parts it needs to keep on building.
The Nintendo Switch Pro is rumored to be in development.
Source: Video Games Chronicle
