Nintendo Japan has temporarily restricted purchases of the multi-language Switch 2 to one unit per account for players with over 50 hours of playtime. This follows suspected bulk buying by scalpers.
Nintendo Japan Cracks Down on Scalpers by Capping Switch 2 Sales
1 Unit Per Account, 50+ Hours of Playtime Now Required
Nintendo Japan is temporarily restricting purchases of the multi-language version of the Switch 2 after suspected bulk buying from scalpers, according to a post on the official Nintendo X (formerly Twitter) account on June 11.
Until further notice, a Nintendo account with over 50 hours of logged playtime, excluding demos and free games, will be required to purchase a maximum of one multi-language version of the Switch 2 via Nintendo Japan’s official online store. Purchase conditions for the Japanese language-only Switch 2 are unaffected by these changes.
This follows the news that the Switch 2’s base price will increase by $50 starting on September 1, bringing the retail price up from $449.99 to $499.99. Nintendo made the announcement on their official website on May 8, citing "changes in market conditions" as the reason for the increase.
Then, in early June, Nintendo released the Choose Your Game bundle, offering the Switch 2 alongside a digital download code for either Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, or Pokémon Pokopia for $499.99. The bundle saves interested buyers $29.99 ahead of the planned price hike.
Public reception to the price increase has been mixed, skewing slightly towards positive. Fans and observers have taken to social media to express their appreciation for the generous grace period and the Choose Your Game bundle. Many remain drawn by Nintendo’s strong lineup of exclusive titles.
However, according to some forum discussions, some are unhappy with such a high price tag being attached to a hybrid console and argue that rising costs in memory storage will rack up personal expenses after buying the Switch 2.
Considering Nintendo’s recent announcements and current market conditions, the sudden surge in scalpers might have been inevitable. Resellers seek to exploit the massive excitement and anticipation driven by Nintendo-exclusive titles such as Pokémon Pokopia, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake, Xenoblade Genesis, and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave.
This demand is further amplified by Nintendo’s role in delivering exclusive announcements and console support for highly anticipated major third-party games such as Kingdom Hearts 4 and Deltarune.
Sources:
Nintendo Official X Account
Nintendo Japan Online Store
Nintendo Price Increase Announcement
Nintendo Choose Your Own Bundle Announcement
