Switch
Image: Nintendo Life

The Nintendo Switch is in high demand right now, but stock is hard to come by – and that's causing buyers to turn to other options.

Covering the recent announcement by Nintendo that Switch stock would be limited to those who had placed reservations in Japan this week, Gamesindustry.biz expanded on the situation, stating that sales of the console in Europe and the US have dropped dramatically over the last two weeks according to data from GfK and GSD. The Switch Lite, however, is easier to find.

One UK retailer Gamesindustry.biz that demand for the Lite model isn't as high, because buyers want a system their kids can play on the television. The retailer added that "a lot of people looking for a Switch are instead ordering a PS4 or Xbox One. But even those consoles are in short supply right now."

Stock is in short supply for a range of reasons, the most pressing of which is obviously the recent coronavirus outbreak. A global lockdown means parents are keen to purchase devices which keep their children entertained, but the manufacture and distribution of electronics have been disrupted by the outbreak as well, creating a situation of high demand and low stock – Switch sales jumped by 150% in March, according to Gamesindustry.biz.

With China being the workshop of the world these days, it stands to reason that the recent shutdown has impacted Nintendo's ability to respond to the high demand – but, as the company has said, more stock is coming, thanks largely to the fact that China's factories are slowly beginning to reactivate production.

[source gamesindustry.biz]