Nintendo suspends Switch shipments to Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic

The company will continue Nintendo Switch shipments to European and US markets

Nintendo has suspended shipments of its popular consoles, the Switch and Switch Lite, from its overseas factories to Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a new report on Nikkei, while operations at the China and Vietnam factories where the devices are produced have “recovered to a certain point”, they have yet to return to full capacity. This has impacted Nintendo’s supply chain and its ability to meet the demands of the Japanese market. It is presently unclear when Nintendo will resume its shipments of the consoles to Japan.

However, shipments to Europe and the US, where sufficient inventories are available, will continue.

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Global demand for both the Switch and Switch Lite has increased significantly over the course of the past month, with the coronavirus pandemic forcing many to self-isolate. Over 830,000 Switch and Switch Lite systems were sold between February 24 and March 29 in Japan alone, bringing cumulative domestic sales figures to over 13 million units, according to Nikkei. On a global scale, Statista reports Nintendo has sold over 51 million units since the Switch’s launch in March 2017.

The recent release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons has also played a key factor in the surge of global demand. Nintendo recently revealed the game’s characters are headed to Smash Bros. Ultimate for the latter’s next Spirit Board event.

Other companies affected by the ongoing pandemic include Sony Interactive Entertainment, which has begun issuing automatic refunds after the indefinite delays of The Last Of Us Part II and Iron Man VR.

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