It seems like Nintendo could fall short of restocking Switch consoles in the two biggest markets in April. In the US and Europe, the coronavirus could cause Switch stock shortages.
We recently came to know that the Nintendo Switch production was delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak. It looks like the consequences of those delays are soon to be upon Nintendo. The people that are familiar with the supply chain have told Bloomberg that they expect the Switch stock to take a hit in Europe and North America.
This shortage is expected to take place a little after the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons at the end of March and at the beginning of April. All this is happening due to the limited component supply coming out of China.
Nintendo is already facing Switch stock shortages in Japan but they told Bloomberg that they don’t think this will happen in the US. They said:
We do not see any major impact on the shipment to the U.S. currently, but we will remain vigilant and take steps if necessary. It’s possible the supply would be affected by the virus if it becomes more widespread and prolonged.
Chines suppliers commented that it would take a “few more weeks” before production will be back to normal. Containing the coronavirus is more important than forcing workers to make more Switch consoles. That would happen at the risk of exposing the workers to the virus.
The people who revealed these details asked Bloomberg not to reveal their names. If what these people are saying is true, Switch’s unstoppable selling spree could be stopped dead in its tracks.
With the PlayStation 5 production schedule not getting affected by the coronavirus, it looks the Nintendo is the biggest victim of the virus when it comes to console production.
