You can now easily buy a Switch 2 without jumping through hoops
The console's messy preorder process and spotty launch availability made it feel a little like late 2020 all over again, when the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nvidia RTX 30-series GPUs launched in extremely limited quantities due to component shortages. However, Nintendo appears to have adjusted the right dials to boost production quickly enough to meet US demand. The company reportedly delayed the Switch 2's planned late-2024 launch to build up stock, according to Nikkei (translated by VGC). If that's true, that decision seems to have paid off for customers.
The increased flow of consoles seemed to coincide with the launch of Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo's latest Switch 2 exclusive. By then, the Switch 2 had already set sales records, becoming the fastest selling game hardware in US history, according to details from marketing firm Circana. Nintendo sold 1.6 million units within its first month in the US alone (it sold a record 3.5 million consoles globally in its first four days). That's impressive, considering how much skepticism there was about whether its high $449.99 price ($499.99 if you want a bundle with Mario Kart World) would turn away would-be buyers.
If stock were still tough to come by, we'd be anticipating some kind of update on the matter during Nintendo's upcoming August 1st earning's call. But, thankfully, people across the country can now just buy one online without stressing about it.
Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox weekly.
Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
See All by Brandt Ranj
Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
See All Analysis
Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
See All Entertainment
Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
See All Gaming
Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
See All Nintendo
Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
See All Tech
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
14 minutes ago
- News24
Trump and EU's Von der Leyen announce deal hours before deadline
US President Trump and EU chief Von der Leyen announced an agreement just before the 1 August deadline that would have triggered across-the-board 30% US tariffs on EU goods. The deal sets a uniform 15% tariff on EU exports to the US. As part of the agreement, the EU committed to purchasing $750 billion worth of US energy and investing an additional $600 billion in America. US President Donald Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday announced they had reached a deal to end a transatlantic tariffs standoff and avert a full-blown trade war. The agreement came as the clock ticked down on an 1 August deadline for the European Union to strike a deal with Washington - or face an across-the-board US levy of 30%. 'We have reached a deal. It's a good deal for everybody,' Trump told reporters following a high-stakes meeting with Von der Leyen at his golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland. Trump told reporters the deal involved a baseline levy of 15% on EU exports to the United States - the same level secured by Japan - including for the bloc's crucial auto sector, which is currently being taxed at 25%. 'We are agreeing that the tariff straight across, for automobiles and everything else, will be a straight across tariff of 15%,' Trump said. READ | Trump complains EU not offering fair trade deal, Japan being 'tough' too He also said the bloc had agreed to purchase '$750 billion worth of energy' from the United States, as well as $600 billion more in additional investments in the country. Negotiating on behalf of the EU's 27 countries, Von der Leyen's European Commission had been pushing hard to salvage a trading relationship worth an annual $1.9 trillion in goods and services. 'It's a good deal,' the EU chief told reporters, sitting alongside Trump following their hour-long talks. 'It will bring stability. It will bring predictability. That's very important for our businesses on both sides of the Atlantic,' she said. No carve-outs The EU has been hit by multiple waves of tariffs since Trump reclaimed the White House. It is currently subject to a 25% levy on cars, 50% on steel and aluminium, and an across-the-board tariff of 10%, which Washington threatens to hike to 30 in a no-deal scenario. Brussels has been focused on getting a deal to avoid sweeping tariffs that would further harm its sluggish economy - with retaliation held out as a last resort. But the deal, as outlined by Trump, appeared to fall short of EU expectations. The bloc had been pushing hard for tariff carve-outs for critical industries from aircraft to spirits, and its auto industry, crucial for France and Germany, is already reeling from the levies imposed so far. Any deal will also need to be approved by EU member states - whose ambassadors, on a visit to Greenland, were updated by the commission on Sunday morning. They were set to meet again after the deal struck in Scotland. Trump said pharmaceuticals - a key export for Ireland, which the bloc has lobbied to shield - 'won't be part of' any deal. 'We have to have them built, made in the United States,' the president said. This month, Trump suggested the possibility of a 200% tariff on drugs imported into the United States, which would deal a crushing blow to the sector in Europe. The EU had also hoped for a compromise on steel that could allow a certain quota into the United States before tariffs would apply, but Trump ruled that out, saying steel was 'staying the way it is'. Auto sector While 15% would be much higher than pre-existing US tariffs on European goods, which average around 4.8%, it would mirror the status quo, with companies currently facing an additional flat rate of 10%. Had the talks failed, EU states had greenlit counter tariffs on $109 billion (93 billion euros) of US goods including aircraft and cars to take effect in stages from 7 August. Brussels was also drawing up a list of US services to potentially target. Beyond that, countries including France say Brussels should not be afraid to deploy a so-called trade 'bazooka' - EU legislation designed to counter coercion that can involve restricting access to its market and public contracts. Trump has embarked on a campaign to reshape US trade with the world, and has vowed to hit dozens of countries with punitive tariffs if they do not reach a pact with Washington by 1 August. US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick had said on Sunday the 1 August deadline was firm and there will be 'no extensions, no more grace periods'.
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Says U.S. Reached a Trade Deal With European Union
President Trump announced a trade agreement between the U.S. and the European Union after meeting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, marking his biggest deal so far. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Wall Street Journal
44 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Trump Says U.S. Reached a Trade Deal With European Union
Trump Says U.S. Reached a Trade Deal With European Union President Trump announced a trade agreement between the U.S. and the European Union after meeting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, marking his biggest deal so far. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
