Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has warned of a possible shortage of stock for the Nintendo Switch this year.
Furukawa shared the news during an exclusive interview with Japanese publication, Nikkei. In a translation provided by VGC, it was revealed that Nintendo has secured “the necessary materials for the immediate production of semiconductors for Switches”.
However, Furukawa noted that due to the Switch’s high demand in Japan and other countries, “there is a possibility of shortages at some retailers in the future”. Furukawa went on to say: “It is difficult to say how we will deal with this, but in some cases we may not be able to prepare enough for orders.”
Furukawa’s comments should come as no surprise, as the gaming industry has seen a shortage of semiconductor and graphic chip components in recent months due to production difficulties stemming from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
A recent report from Bloomberg in February had suggested that the semiconductor shortage could “get worse before it gets better in 2021”, and could potentially last until Christmas later this year.
Beyond the gaming industry, the electrical component shortage has also affected the production of other goods, including mobile phones, computers, and even cars. In late February, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order to investigate the matter.
Per a statement from The White House, the 100-day review will “help create more resilient and secure supply chains for critical and essential goods”. It is currently unclear how or when the electrical component shortage will be resolved.
In other Nintendo news, dataminers have claimed that the Nintendo Switch contains coding that hints at native bluetooth audio support. It also allegedly hints at the existence of the rumoured Switch Pro with a 4K display.
Neither claims have been confirmed by Nintendo.
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