2021 is, in many ways, a repeat of 2020. Last year our spirits were buoyed by the release of the PlayStation 5, but it was hard to get. Nintendo’s new OLED Switch console might have soothed some ruffled souls this holiday season but, like last year, the gaming hardware will prove hard to locate.

Nintendo has trimmed its sales forecast for the handheld console by 6%, meaning the company’s ‘only’ expecting to sell 24 million units by the end of this year. This isn’t too alarming, but the company’s also expecting to battle to meet holiday season demand.

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Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, speaking at a news briefing, said, “We can’t produce enough to meet the demand we are expecting during the upcoming holiday season.”

The reason for this, perhaps obviously, is that pesky chip shortage that has slammed the auto industry and even made Samsung reorganise its inventory for the year. “Currently there is no sign of improvement and the situation continues to be severe so I can’t say how long it will continue,” Furukawa continued.

This isn’t to say that there won’t be any consoles available in South Africa when it comes time to stock up on pretty boxes to stick under your tree — the Nintendo Switch is likely to be mostly available.

But if you haven’t already snapped up an OLED Switch, it may be a plan to keep a close watch on the official Nintendo store. At present, the new console is completely sold out. There will be more stock before the festive season kicks off, but if you snooze, you might just lose.

Source: Reuters