Nintendo’s red-hot Switch is difficult to find at retailers, but you may have another chance to grab one this week.
GameStop is confirming that it’s getting in a new shipment of Nintendo Switch consoles on Wednesday, March 22. Like usual, the company won’t sell these systems through its online store. Instead, you’ll have to head into your local GameStop that day to see if they have one for you. Amazon, Target, Best Buy, and other major retail chains should also get new shipments around the same time.
Nintendo has already surpassed 1.5 million Switch systems sold, according to industry intelligence firm SuperData Research. That’s three-quarters of the 2 million hardware units that Nintendo planned to ship into stores before the end of March. Because of the strong early sales, Nintendo is planning to double production through its next fiscal year to 16 million Switch systems. That would put the system on pace to sell as well as the Wii — at least through its first 13 months.
The success of the Switch has Nintendo’s stock price surging. The company’s share value jumped 1.69 percent on Friday, and continued demand for the device should continue to push the stock price even higher.
For consumers, this means many people may still have difficulty getting their hands on the system. But the increased production may solve those problems as we head into the summer — although major game launches like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon, and Super Mario Odyssey, which are all due out before the end of 2017, could keep demand high through the gift-giving holidays.