You won’t be able to buy a Nintendo Switch until at least summer 2020

16 April 2020, 12:15

The trailer for Animal Crossing - New Horizons on Nintendo Switch

By Sophie Thompson

Since the world was placed in lockdown, and the newest Animal Crossing game was released, demand for Nintendo's latest console, the Switch, has gone through the roof - and fans are eagerly awaiting a restock date.

If you haven't already spent every waking moment of 'working' from home glued to a Nintendo Switch building your dream Animal Crossing island, it's probably because you haven't managed to get hold of the console to play it on yet. And there's good reason too - production has stopped and it's been awaiting a restock date for weeks now.

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Since we've been stuck indoors with little more than Netflix for a friend, the world's love for video games has reignited, and demand for the latest handheld-meets-home console, the Switch, is proving impossible to keep up with - in fact, 52 million of them have now been sold, and searches for 'Nintendo Switch restock' are up almost 300%.

It's currently out of stock pretty much anywhere you try to purchase one online, and the resale value of those willing to fork out can be up to x2 the price of the already-£300 device. Nintendo have also release a Switch Lite (one that's handheld-only) in a broader range of super cute pastel colours including yellow and pink, but almost instantly that's become a distant memory too.

But for those not lucky enough to yet own one, it's not good news.

In fact, they're now so sought after, Nintendo are saying we can't expect to see anymore of the Switch come into stock until at least summer 2020.

Because of a shutdown in manufacturing in China where they're made (thanks a lot, coronavirus), the rest of the world simply aren't currently getting any stock - and experts say that things aren't likely to go back to normal until at least June, and Niko Partners Senior Analyst, Daniel Ahmad, admitted to Business Insider "the increase in demand is beyond I think what even Nintendo expected."

The console allows players to purchase games directly from the device for ease of access, including cult-classics such as Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart, and Fortnite.

And not only are we becoming increasingly bored, but with Animal Crossing: New Horizons freshly launched, no one is feeling the pinch harder than the internet...

Gaming fans, may the odds be ever in your favour.

QUIZ: Which Animal Crossing character are you?