Sneaky Resellers are Offering Preorders to the Highest Buyers at Auction
New artyole:
The global launch of Nintendo's Switch 2 is upon us, hitting shelves on June 5. More luck to those in earlier time zones, as they've snagged their consoles by midnight. North Americans will join the party soon enough. Covid-19 be damned, many gamers have already pre-ordered their Switch 2s, dodging the in-store lines planned for midnight sales at brick-and-mortar stores. Others are throwing cash at scalpers on eBay, Mercari, and other resale sites, where fear of stock shortages due to ongoing tariff dramas has fueled a secondary market offering consoles for several hundred dollars more than the retail price.
One listing promises shipping on June 6 for a whopping $849, while other listings are up for grabs in auctions. Mercari's Switch prices hover around the $600 range and above. With Nintendo's history of supply shortages, even the Switch 2's predecessor, and the recent warning Japanese customers have received that demand may rocket past supply, Anxiety levels are tap-dancing on the edge.
Nintendo tried to be one step ahead of the scalping chaos by imposing restrictions on buyers who wanted a Switch 2 from their stores. Those looking to bag more than one console could only purchase one system per account, and they needed to meet certain criteria, such as 50 hours of playtime on their Switch account. Gamers eyeing more than one Switch could still go for multiple orders through other retailers, like Amazon or Walmart, or, well, pay sky-high prices to scalpers.
A GameFaqs forum user had this groan-worthy confession: "I have no shame... Roughly 700.00 USD... no Mario Kart bundle... I couldn't wait any longer."
Nintendo refused to comment when we reached out, but earlier this month, they did announce a crackdown on resale sites in Japan, including Mercari, Yahoo Auctions, Yahoo Fleamarket, and Rakuten Rakuma. These steps, part of a probationary period starting June 5, involve removing listings and banning users. However, it's unclear if these measures will be enforced outside Japan.
The Switch 2's $450 price tag may yet rise, as older game consoles do, due to market fluctuations. Add increased costs for accessories because of recent tariffs, and the modest gamer may find themselves Switchless after all, as some retailers reportedly axed pre-orders due to system errors or stock shortages. Happy gaming, misers!
- Subscribers of a technology newsletter might receive updates about the skyrocketing prices of Nintendo Switch 2 consoles due to scalpers and ongoing tariff dramas.
- In a business AI system, analysts could monitor the prices of hardware gadgets like the Nintendo Switch 2, gadgets, and other tech products across various online marketplaces for changes and trends.
- Some general-news magazines may cover the growing controversy over the increase in the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 due to scalpers and restrictions on buying multiple consoles from retailers.
- In an entertainment segment, a talk show host might discuss the lengths gamers have gone to obtain Nintendo Switch 2 consoles, mentioning pre-orders, standby lines, and even resorting to purchasing from scalpers on various resale sites.
