Nintendo warns of Switch 2 stock shortages as pre-orders expand
Despite planning ahead with a lottery system to keep things fair and fend off scalpers, Nintendo says it still can't keep up.
Around 2.2 million people in Japan applied for a chance to buy the Switch 2 through Nintendo's first lottery, vastly outstripping what the company can deliver for launch day on June 5, the company's President Shuntaro Furukawa said on Wednesday.
Those who missed out will now automatically be entered into the second draw but, even then, not everyone will get one.
Nintendo is now ramping up production to meet demand, and is advising gamers to check with Japanese retailers, which are holding their own pre-order lotteries from Thursday, April 24.
'We plan to continue producing and shipping a considerable number of Nintendo Switch 2 units in the future,' Furukawa said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) in Japanese. 'We apologize for the delay in our ability to meet your expectations, and we appreciate your understanding.'
古川です。みなさまのお手元に「Nintendo Switch 2」をお届けすべく、事前に多くの部材を調達し、生産を進めてきました。4月2日には「Nintendo Switch…
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) April 23, 2025
The follow-up to Nintendo's smash-hit Switch console, the Switch 2 is another hybrid device that works both on your TV and as a handheld.
It features a larger 7.9-inch display and a powerful new graphics chip that enables smoother gameplay, 4K output when docked, and cutting-edge features like ray tracing for more realistic lighting and reflections. The console is also backward compatible, meaning it can run existing Switch games.
In the UK, it's priced at £396 on its own, or £430 in a bundle with Mario Kart World.
Despite the higher price tag compared to its predecessor, the Switch 2 could mark the biggest console launch ever.
Nintendo is reportedly lining up between six and eight million units for the initial launch, but experts warn that may fall short of demand.
2) For context, Switch 1 sold ~35M times in Japan so far, a ridiculous number for a country with 125M people.Nintendo originally promised enough supply for launch - which of course immediately sounded like a fairy tale for anybody with a basic understanding of the game market.
— Dr. Serkan Toto (@serkantoto) April 23, 2025
Tokyo-based gaming analyst Serkan Toto said: 'Nintendo originally promised enough supply for launch—which, of course, immediately sounded like a fairy tale to anyone who understands the games market.'
If the Switch 2 meets expectations, it would dwarf previous launches. By comparison, the original Switch sold 2.7 million units in its first month, while Sony's PS5 and PS4 each managed 4.5 million units in their debut quarters.
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Chicago Tribune
20 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Is Gen Z destroying wine culture?
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In 2024, global wine consumption fell to its lowest level in more than 60 years. Moderation in alcohol has become a cross-generational trend and Gen Z (currently aged 13-28) is coming of age in an increasingly different drinking culture than their parents or grandparents. 'It may not be that Gen Z is drinking less,' says Ting Ting Shi, 25, a sommelier at Miru, the Japanese restaurant at the St. Regis Chicago. 'But they're probably drinking less often,' she says. For a lot of younger people, drinking tends to be more intentional than habitual, she describes. It's more likely to be focused on specific occasions, she explains, a Friday night out, for instance, rather than a routine glass of wine with dinner or beer after work each night. And for many Gen Z drinkers, wine isn't an obvious choice yet. 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It's a generation with an innately 'health-first mindset,' explains Daisy Siders, 26, a sommelier at RPM Italian in River North. 'We drink, but we're conscious, even overly conscious about the effects of alcohol on our bodies,' she says. It's somewhat of a Gen Z cliché, she admits, but 'we close out our bar tabs (after each round) because we want to keep track of how much we're drinking and spending.' The wine industry has rushed to court younger drinkers, shaking off its stuffy, elitist reputation with appeals to perceived millennial and Gen Z values like authenticity, sustainability or emotional connection. Gen Z often favors products that align with their ideals, says Shi, but 'overwhelmingly, I would argue that cost has been the biggest driver in Gen Z drinking habits.' That reality isn't unique to Gen Z, but rather a reflection of where they are in life. 'As a younger demographic, we have less purchasing power,' says Shi. 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More than any previous generation, Gen Z Americans are likely to have been raised by wine-drinking parents. 'They're already light years ahead of previous generations,' she says. With time, career growth and more disposable income, their interest in wine is likely to deepen. 'Our incline might not be as linear, but I do think we'll get there eventually,' says Gardner, who took several of Zimorski's courses. After all, there's a universality to what draws curious people to wine. Beyond its appeal as a beverage, wine offers a cultural and historical depth to explore. 'The education journey never ends,' says Shi. 'There are always more stories to tell, more places and techniques to learn about.' But as Gen Z embarks on their journey, they ask for patience too. 'Older generations can be harsh' to younger wine drinkers, Siders says. 'There's still a lot of snobbery and gatekeeping, and it's very much a 'go out and figure it out yourself' kind of culture.' Despite the negative hype, there's a lot to celebrate. With a new generation of moderate drinkers comes a greater consciousness of responsible alcohol consumption, and hopefully, a higher appreciation for better quality products, ethics and sustainability. 'Who knows,' Zimorski says. 'Gen Z might actually be the saviors of wine culture.'

Los Angeles Times
20 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
This robot uses Japanese tradition and AI for sashimi that lasts longer and is more humane
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While he was in graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania, Khawaja was moved by an essay that argued that fish suffer inhumane deaths because they cannot vocalize pain. He even once considered developing sensors to make fish's pain audible. Shinkei provides Poseidon machines to fishermen, who then sell fish processed through the machines back to Shinkei at a premium. Shinkei in turn sells the fish to restaurants and other retailers underits fish company Seremoni. Poseidon is roughly refrigerator-sized and sits on fishing boat decks. It processes fish within seconds of being caught. The fish is fed through an opening in the machine and into a small vinyl cavity. The machine then uses AI to identify what kind of fish it is and where exactly its brain and gills are. Fish emerge with a hole in the head and incisions near the gills before being placed in an ice slurry for blood drainage. Quickly killing the fish, bleeding it and chilling it without freezing leads to fish that is noticeably better, Khawaja said. 'There's going to be a flavor profile difference and there's going to be texture profile difference,' he said. The company chose Los Angeles for its headquarters and production because it has the right mix of potential employees as well as customers. It has the mechanical engineering talent as well as a major fishing fleet and lots of high-end restaurants. 'The best mechanical engineering talent in the world, in my opinion, is in Southern California,' said Seremoni co-founder Reed Ginsberg. The city is also a major health and consumer products hub as well as a trend setter for cutting-edge food fads. Chef Michael Cimarusti, co-owner of the Michelin starred Providence restaurant in Los Angeles, says he tries to buy local ikejime fish when he can because it preserves the quality and color. 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Newsweek
21 minutes ago
- Newsweek
US Ally Upgrades Aircraft Carrier Fleet To Counter China Threat
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