For gamers across Japan, the news landed where it hurts: on a pre-order. Nintendo said on February 6, 2020, that the coronavirus outbreak is disrupting Switch production and shipments in its home market, and it has pushed back reservations for the Animal Crossing-themed Switch, which had been due to open on February 8, to a date it has not set. Pre-orders for the game itself are unaffected.
The slowdown reaches beyond that one console. The company said manufacturing for the Japanese market has been delayed by the 2019-nCoV outbreak, hitting Switch systems and Joy-Con controllers built in China, along with Ring Fit Adventure, the fitness game that is already out of stock.
Nintendo framed the trouble in careful, measured terms. It does not anticipate a major impact on its broader global supply chain, and sales in North America and Europe are not affected, pre-orders included. “We would like to express our concern and support for all those affected by the coronavirus during this challenging time,” the company said.
Closer to home, the same slowdown is rippling through the region’s contract manufacturers. Apple’s suppliers in China, Foxconn and Quanta, were not expected to return to full production until around February 10. Foxconn has reportedly paused much of its output and may not hit full capacity until late this month.
The pressure has been building for a while. The US-China trade war pushed Nintendo to relocate some production to Vietnam last year, but the company does not yet have enough capacity there to offset the virus’s impact. What it means for people is simple: a console and its accessories may be harder to find in Japan in the weeks ahead, even with Nintendo promising to deliver as soon as it can.
Sources
- Coronavirus outbreak is affecting Nintendo Switch supply in Japan
- Coronavirus delays Nintendo Switch production, shipments
