Game fans lined up for the Nintendo Switch 2 presentation on Thursday amid demand for a more powerful next-generation gaming console, Reuters reports, UNN writes.
Details
"The level of demand seems sky-high," said Serkan Toto, founder of Kantan Games consulting company.
In the Ikebukuro shopping district of Tokyo, dozens of lottery contenders from electronics retailer Bic Camera lined up before the store opened to pick up their devices.
Nintendo said it received 2.2 million applications for the Switch 2 sales lottery at its My Nintendo Store in Japan. Target pre-orders were exhausted in less than two hours.
What is known about the console
The Switch 2 is largely similar to its predecessor, but offers a larger screen and improved graphics and debuts with games like Mario Kart World.
The launch of the Switch 2 for $499.99 is a test of Nintendo's supply chain management during the trade war of US President Donald Trump, the publication notes.
Mario Kart World is priced at $79.99 in the US, sparking controversy over the price of games. Nintendo is also attracting third-party games.
Last month, Nintendo forecast sales of 15 million Switch 2 units in the current fiscal year, as well as 4.5 million Switch units.
"Nintendo is better prepared this time" to cope with high demand, said Piers Harding-Rolls, an analyst at Ampere Analysis.
President Shuntaro Furukawa said Nintendo will increase production capacity to meet high demand and focus on promoting sales to surpass the forecast.
Investor expectations for the new device are also high.
Nintendo shares, which fell 2% in Tokyo, are up 28% this year.
Ampere forecasts that Switch 2 sales will exceed 100 million units in 2030.
Addition
Nintendo has sold 152 million portable home Switch devices since its launch in 2017. It has become a gaming giant with games like the two The Legend of Zelda games and the COVID-19 pandemic hit Animal Crossing: New Horizons.