Nintendo President Apologizes for Switch 2 Shortage — Demand Far Surpasses Expectations

Whoa, okay, so here’s the scoop. Nintendo’s big guy, Shuntaro Furukawa, stands up at this shareholders’ thing — it’s the 85th, if that number does anything for ya — and he says sorry, kinda outta left field. People went bonkers for this new Switch 2, you see, way more than anyone at Nintendo thought they would. Like, they thought they knew excitement, but nope, the people showed them. Early June, the console’s out there, breaking records like it’s the cool kid in school. Nearly a million more sold than the old Switch, they say. Wild, right?

But — and there’s always a but — Japan’s not too happy. They’re like, “Hey, where’s our Switch 2?” while places like the U.S. and the UK apparently chill, consoles stacking up like pancakes on a Sunday morning. One person even stood up and asked this big, awkward question about why Japan got the short end of the joystick.

Furukawa’s all official, like, “Yeah, we know, it’s a mess. Even some shareholders can’t grab one yet.” I picture him sweating a bit at this part. They started this lottery system — which is like, what? The console equivalent of winning a stuffed animal at a fair. Two point two million folks signed up. That’s bonkers.

Four rounds of this lottery thing happened, and still, people went home empty-handed. Now, a fifth round — lucky number five, right? And major stores start doing their own lottery gigs, but who knows if it works.

Nintendo’s thinking power-up, revving up production so everyone can play. It’s an apology tour, trying to soothe folks, easing the frustration, but it’s like patching a flat tire with bubble gum sometimes.

Oh, and yeah, Nintendo’s focusing more on the U.S. and Europe because that’s where the cash flows. Not surprising, but hey, at least in those parts, you can snag a Switch 2 — minus a few hiccups. Heard about some consoles with screens getting punked by staples? How’s that even happen? Receipt meets box, and bam, chaos.

Despite these little dramas, the Switch 2’s cruising through as a hit. Not like those crazy GPU or PlayStation 5 launches where you feel like you’re in an Indiana Jones movie hunting for lost treasure. So yeah, you’re in the U.S. or UK? Get your game face on, and it’s as simple as knowing the right place to look — no archaeological exploits required.

And hey, if you’re thirsty for more tech tidbits, there’s always Tom’s Hardware on Google News. Just a click away from more nerdy nuggets.