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Nintendo Switch could be hard to get this Christmas (again)
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NintendoSwitchproduction is down 20% due to the current silicon shortage, according to a report from the gaming giant’s Japanese homeland.
Nikkeisourcessay Nintendo is scaling back production on all versions of the Switch console, including the brand newSwitch OLEDversion with a larger display.
The shortage of semiconductors and “other electronic parts” are to blame, according to the report. Overall, it means plans to create 30 million units, have been scaled back. 1 in 5 planned consoles now won’t make it off the production line.
“We are assessing their impact on our production,” a Nintendo spokesperson told the publication, while the company’s president Shuntaro Furukawa had previously been on record saying the company has not been able to create as many consoles as it wished.
Switch shortages have been regular occurrences since the console arrived in 2017. For a while early on they were as hard to come by as the current PS5 and Xbox Series X/S machines. It was also difficult to grab a Switch during the early days of the pandemic when the company launched Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
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While it’s easy to think the Nintendo Switch has passed its peak, after selling nearly 90 million over the last four years, there’s still plenty of life in the system yet.
The Switch OLED is a “fantastic upgrade” for portable play, our review Ryan Jones says, while the larger display doesn’t prohibit portability too much. The kickstand is much sturdier than the original and there’s also increased storage capacity.
In some ways it remains a difficult sell for existing Switch owners as there are no substantial upgrades for docked mode, while there’s no performance boost at all. It also lacks the long-rumoured 4K gaming support.
Ryan writes: “The Nintendo Switch OLED is a fantastic upgrade for portable play, with the new screen looking significantly better than the standard model’s. But with no substantial upgrade for docked mode, it isn’t a worthwhile purchase for those who just want a home console for the TV.”
Chris Smith is a freelance technology journalist for a host of UK tech publications, including Trusted Reviews. He’s based in South Florida, USA. …
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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
