As hype for the new console leads to sellouts around the world, there’s still a rare few places where its readily available. Australia is curiously one of them.
Australia has a long history of fumbling its tourism marketing campaigns; the only message that seems to resonate is that we’re a country full of poisonous and dangerous animals.
But here’s one that may stick: We’re one of the few places in the world you can still readily and easily buy a Switch 2 at launch.
Launching on June 5, just a few weeks away, Nintendo’s Switch 2 is shaping up to be the hottest technology launch this year. The promise of an upgrade to the original Switch’s processing power, and a new Mario Kart is enough to send the world into a tizzy. Preorders sold out within a day in both the US and the UK. Demand is so red hot in Japan that the company had to launch a lottery system for preorders.
Not the case here
Yet, curiously, in Australia, the Switch 2 is still readily available. In fact, contrary to other major markets, some retailers in Australia are actually discounting the Switch 2 at launch in order to generate sales. The same goes for New Zealand, its major retailers are also reporting stock.
It’s a stunning reversal of what Australia experienced with the Steam Deck. Due to a delayed release in this market many paid inflated prices (upwards of $400 AUD more) to grey import a model from overseas.
Valve has since launched the Steam Deck in Australia last November.
So why is this the case with the Switch 2? Telsyte analyst Alvin Lee says Nintendo may have correctly estimated demand for its console in this market. There’s precedent of them getting this wrong with the launch of the Wii in 2007, where hype led to midnight launches and queues of gamers around the country. That, however, was corrected with both the Wii U launch (2012) and the Switch launch (2017) in Australia.
“According to Telsyte’s Australian Subscription Entertainment Study 2024, close to 3 million households [of a total 9 million in Australia] already own a Nintendo console, giving the Switch 2 a solid installed base to build on,” Lee says, adding that this estimate also includes past handheld Nintendo consoles such as the 3DS.
Time to book a flight?
So why would anyone genuinely consider coming to Australia just to buy a gaming console? Consider the American experience.
Matt Swider runs The Shortcut, a Substack dedicated to helping US consumers find the best deals — and available stock — for technology product launches. Earlier this month, as pre-orders opened slightly later in the US than the rest of the world, he was helping subscribers navigate the maze of queues and paywalls to find a product.
“American retailers are always unprepared for the crushing demand,” he says.
“They’ve set up virtual queue systems, but often resellers use bots to claim the inventory. Some retailers, like Walmart, Best Buy and GameStop, have paywalled their hottest products. It’s a double-edged sword. Consumers hate membership fees, but it does create a barrier-to-entry for bots.”
He adds that this dynamic has now become the norm for tech launches, as chip shortage and other macro factors continue to affect the supply of tech products in the US.
Swider says that Nintendo might not be at fault here either, putting in place its own measure to ensure true fans get their hands on the latest consoles. “Nintendo learned where Sony and Microsoft failed to meet consumers’ demand for consoles,” he says.
“It could have tried to launch the Switch 2 last year, but it waited until it had more console inventory and launched games. It also set restrictions through its own store, forcing fans to have a paid membership and 50 hours of gameplay time on the original Nintendo Switch.”
That’s all still cold comfort for those who missed out on the Switch preorders in the US and other countries. For what it’s worth: It seems everyone is a bit unsure of the numbers.
Analysts have recently called out Nintendo’s original estimate for selling 15 million Switch 2 console sales this year as conservative. But even that’s questionable. For contrast, the Playstation 5 sold 10 million units in 249 days following its launch. Nintendo is currently predicting it will sell 15 million units in 300 days.
Meanwhile, Telyste’s Alvin Lee suspects that whatever Nintendo doesn’t sell at launch, it will shift in Australia over time. Perhaps ruling out the costly move of shifting units from this country to others to compensate for demand overseas.
“The higher launch console price might give some buyers pause, but Telsyte expects demand to build steadily – especially as more titles and flagship franchises are released post-launch,” he says.
So if you can bear a 20-hour flight down under, at least you know, there’s still time.
Have you been struggling to pre-order a Switch 2 console? Are you waiting till demand dies down? Or is the rising cost of gaming biting, and you are passing on this upgrade? Let me know in the comments.
- Harrison Polites writes the Infinite Lives newsletter. Follow him here.
