While not quite as rare as rocking hose poop, snagging a Nintendo Switch is currently challenging to say the least.
According to the Wall Street Journal’s Tokyo based tech correspondent Takashi Mochizuki, the competition for components required to build the console is partially to blame.
However, it’s not traditional rivals like Sony and Microsoft that Nintendo is battling for supplies. According to the reports, Apple is ‘gobbling up the same parts’ required to build the Switch.
Mochizuki says the LCD displays are among the parts Nintendo is struggling to procure, while the motors required for the Joy-Con’s HD rumble feature are also proving hard to come by.
The reporter also spoke with Toshiba, who said demand for the NAND flash memory technology “has been overwhelmingly greater than supply, and the situation is likely to stay for the rest of this year.”
Recent reports have even suggested the likes of Apple, Google and Amazon have attempted to lock down supplies by purchasing the Toshiba unit as a whole.
However, it's not all doom and gloom. The situation promises to improve for Switch-less gamers, with Nintendo reportedly committing to doubling production for the coming year.
The company apparently plans to build 18 million consoles in the 12 month period that culminates at the end of March 2018.
With Super Mario Odyssey coming this holiday season, demand for the console seems certain to reach Nintendo Wii levels, so let’s hope the company is able to live up to its lofty goals.
