Nintendo reveals plan to combat Switch 2 scalpers as console approaches release

Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa promised the company plans to combat scalpers and the reseller market when Switch 2 releases.

Consumers have had to contend with more than their fair share of scalpers in recent years. The reseller market for Nintendo products especially boomed late in 2021 when the platform holder released the Switch OLED.

Many may recall scalpers listed the device’s pre-orders on eBay for as much as twice the original asking price. Certain games like the special edition of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 similarly flooded the reseller market with inflated prices.

Company President Shuntaro Furukawa addressed the issue in 2023, telling shareholders leadership would consider which preventive measures to take when launching new hardware.

Nintendo plans to meet demand for Switch 2 to curb scalpers

Speaking with the Japanese press (via Nikkei), Shuntaro Furukawa said of the long-awaited Switch 2 launch, “we will prepare enough products to meet the demand.”

The executive further added that past experiences with the reseller market will inform Nintendo’s approach to inhibiting the prevalence of scalpers this time around.

Furukawa said (as translated by VGC), “We will take all possible measures based on the experience we have accumulated to date. We are making preparations.”

Nintendo

He didn’t divulge which measures the company will take to thwart scalpers with the Nintendo Switch 2 launch, though meeting demand could go a long way in helping.

Notably, Sony Japan instituted certain requirements for pre-orders of the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary console. Those interested in pre-purchasing the limited hardware from PlayStation’s Japanese site had to log into an account with at least 30 hours of use on PS4 or PS5.

Of course, Nintendo won’t likely adopt a similar approach for a standard hardware release, so it’ll be interesting to see how it handles pre-orders this time.

The Switch 2 is still without an official release date, but that may change when Nintendo hosts a Direct for the device on April 2, 2025.