More news on Switch shortages, production may continue to be impacted this year
It’s no secret that Switch supply has been limited around the world. The coronavirus pandemic has heavily impacted production, and while Nintendo expects things to pick up again by the summer, it’s possible that shipments may continue to be affected through the end of 2020.
A report from Bloomberg notes that Nintendo “is struggling to procure some essential components for its popular Switch console due to government-imposed lockdowns in Malaysia and the Philippines, likely limiting its production this year”. Malaysia is involved with printed circuit boards, and the Philippines is also necessary for passive components that attach to those PCBs. Because of the coronavirus, both countries have limited business operations and travel.
“The PCB and passive components shortage is now Nintendo’s most pressing supply constraint, after it previously had to also contend with a production bottleneck in China,” Bloomberg further reports. “Limited access to DRAM, for which Nintendo has to compete with smartphone makers, could also have an impact in the latter half of the year.”
Ace Research Institute analysis Hideki Yasuda spoke with the publication, and warns that “we may see shortages again toward the year-end because Nintendo wouldn’t be able to produce enough units for the shopping season.”
