Nintendo's plan to stop Switch 2 console scalpers is as simple as it gets
The original Switch was tricky to find at launch (Nintendo)
As Nintendo’s next console steps closer to launch, the company has a simple strategy in place for preventing scalpers who sell hardware at inflated prices.
Most recent game consoles have encountered some sort of issue with scarcity when they launch, most famously when the global chip shortage during the pandemic impacted the amount of PlayStation 5s available in 2020.
The scarce supply and heightened demand is fertile ground for scalpers, who buy console in bulk and sell them for hiked up prices to take advantage of the situation.
While the original Switch suffered from a constrained supply when it launched in 2017, Nintendo has said this should be less of a problem for its next console.
During an investor-focused Q&A, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa outlined how they have a simple ‘countermeasure’ for preventing scalpers: making more consoles.
‘As a countermeasure against resale, we believe that the most important thing is to produce a sufficient number to meet customer demand, and this idea has not changed since last year,’ Furukawa said (as translated by IGN).
‘In addition to this, we are considering whether there are any other measures that can be taken to the extent allowed by laws and regulations, taking into account the circumstances of each region.’
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