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Bloomberg: Nintendo Switch Shortages in U.S., Europe 'Likely' Due to COVID-19

Business news source Bloomberg reported on Monday that supplies of the Nintendo Switch console in the United States and Europe will "likely" suffer a shortage in April due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak hampering production of the console's components in China, as well as its final assembly in Vietnam.

The projected delays in production this month would affect the units scheduled for arrival in April.

Nintendo had announced earlier this month that similar production delays will also hamper supply and shipping of the console in Japan, as well as Joy-Con controllers and other peripherals. Nintendo's online Japanese store had planned on accepting pre-orders for the March 20 standalone release of the Nintendo Switch dock in Animal Crossing colors on February 8, but it has delayed pre-orders until further notice.

Nintendo confirmed in its financial results briefing last Friday that it does not plan to launch a new model for the Switch console this year.

The Switch console launched worldwide on March 3, 2017, and has sold 52.48 million units as of December 31. Nintendo sold 10.81 million Switch units in the three months that ended on December 31. Nintendo launched its Switch Lite handheld system last September.

Sources: Bloomberg (Takashi Mochizuki), The Japan Times (Takashi Mochizuki)