The high hopes surrounding Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2 have reached a fever pitch, prompting an official apology from Nintendo’s President, Shuntaro Furukawa. As pre-orders have opened up, the company is struggling to meet demand due to overwhelming consumer interest.
On April 2, 2025, Nintendo Japan launched a lottery system for fans eager to secure their chance at ordering the Switch 2 through the My Nintendo Store. However, Furukawa revealed that “a major number” of those participating in this lottery will be disappointed as production can’t keep pace with the application surge.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on April 23, Furukawa explained:
“We received an extremely large number of applications, approximately 2.2 million people in Japan alone. However, this number far exceeds our expectations and far exceeds the number of Nintendo Switch 2 consoles that can be delivered from the My Nintendo Store on June 5th.”
The announcement continued with an acknowledgment that many customers would not be selected when winners are announced on April 24th:
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
Suppose you are among those who don’t receive a pre-order slot in tomorrow’s draw. In that case, there’s still hope: These applicants will automatically be entered into a second lottery draw for another chance at securing their console, though this doesn’t guarantee success either, given current consumer enthusiasm.
“We deeply apologize for not being able to meet your expectations despite our prior preparations,” added Furukawa, noting efforts to bolster production systems amid such high demand.
For context regarding how well-received this latest console might be: The original Nintendo Switch sold an impressive 13.12 million units worldwide within its first year alone! This figure reflects only pre-orders through Japan’s official My Nintendo Store; it remains to be seen if the expected successor can surpass its predecessor’s remarkable sales record.
This announcement follows reports of a pre-order delay in the US. Pre-orders for the Switch 2 will start tomorrow, April 24, 2025.
