Nintendo Switch restocks: Authorized retailers might not get new console supplies until June, analyst suggests

Nintendo Switch has joined the essential commodities in being out of stock in most retail stores during the COVID-19 pandemic. And an analyst suggests that the situation might not get better until summer.

Nintendo Switch supplies: When to expect restocks

Essential commodities have been difficult to purchase for many people in various parts of the world as cities impose lockdowns or community quarantine guidelines amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But it was a little shocking that a portable gaming console would be one of the items that would be run out of stock from stores.

There could be various reasons why Nintendo Switch is hard to come to by during this crisis. The pandemic has affected the workforce around the world including logistics, which could explain why Nintendo Switch supplies have been drastically affected in various regions.

It could take a while before Nintendo Switch restocks arrive, and it might not be happening this month. “We think that by May, and especially June — the end of Q2 — things will be back to normal with supply," senior analyst Daniel Ahmad for Niko Partners told Business Insider. "And that's because right now, production is ramping up. So we'll start to see the effects of that come late May, June — certainly by the end of Q2.”

Nintendo Switch: Where could people buy the portable console

However, it cannot be ruled out that people may have started to purchase Nintendo Switch in large quantities over the last weeks. This is not difficult to believe, especially when there is a long list of resellers on Amazon offering the console for a much higher price.

On Amazon, it is easy to find new units of Nintendo Switch but video game fans should be ready to pay double (or more) of the regular price. Some listings offer a brand new Switch for as much as $550 even though its regular retail price is only at $299.

Screenshot from Amazon.com

The situation for the Nintendo Switch Lite is the same. Some listings on Amazon offer the console for up to $249 when its regular price is just $199. Gamers in Japan have complained of the same thing. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a stringent rule that would stop the price gouging on gaming consoles during a pandemic crisis.