Two Nintendo Switch consolesSource: Rebecca Spear / iMore

What you need to know

  • Nintendo's fiscal years start on March 1 and end on April 30 of the following year.
  • This fiscal year, Nintendo can only produce 24 million consoles, which is 20% less than expected.
  • Semiconductor chip shortages are cited as the source for the reduction in production.

If you're looking to purchase a Nintendo Switch this Black Friday or Christmas, you may have some issues finding stock, according to a report from Nikkei. Semiconductor chip shortages have been affecting media and the gaming industry since the onset of the global pandemic, and while Nintendo has generally managed to keep Switch consoles in stock, this fiscal year may pose a problem.

Nintendo's fiscal year runs from March 1 to April 30 of the following year, so these issues will permeate into 2022. For anyone thinking of getting a Nintendo Switch for a loved one this holiday season, stores near you may have low stock. Nintendo admitted that they would only be able to produce 24 million consoles this fiscal year, which is 20% less than the 30 million consoles originally planned. There's no information on whether these shortages will affect the original Switch or the new OLED model more, but consumers should expect to see less stock for both.

Super shiny

Switch Oled Product Shot

Nintendo Switch OLED model

A new and improved Nintendo Switch

The newest member of the Nintendo Switch family is the OLED model, which incorporates new and improved features to the system including a larger OLED display, a more stable kickstand for tabletop play, a LAN port, and an upgraded 64GB of internal storage. It's the classic Nintendo Switch, but better.

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