Nintendo Switch is still tough to buy. Here's where to look

Nintendo Switch
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Among the shortages of items like toilet paper and cleaning wipes, one product stood out among consumers eager to entertain themselves at home amid the pandemic: the Nintendo Switch.

The console has been among the hottest tech products this year, as families stuck at home due to quarantine turned to video games to bide the time.

Last month, sales of the Switch in the U.S. more than doubled compared to a year ago, said research firm NPD Group. Switch also set a hardware dollar sales record in August, beating the Wii in 2008.

Months into the pandemic, and even with the impending launches of Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X, the Switch is still a hot gaming commodity. But how tough is it to find one?

Amazon

Availability tended to fluctuate depending on when you look. On Wednesday morning, Amazon showed the standard Switch with detachable controllers would restock in November. But as of Wednesday afternoon, it's only available through third-party sellers, typically well above its $299 price. There was also differing ship dates for the Switch Lite. For example, the listing for the pink showed it would ship in one to two months, while turquoise would return to stock by Nov. 13. The yellow was available to ship in September for cost roughly $50 more.

Target

Depending on your location, you might be able to snag one at a store or have it shipped. The best way to check is when choosing the store location, toggle the option "show in-stock stores within 50 miles." And like Amazon, the Switch Lite is available based on the color you prefer.

Walmart

Most of the listings for the appeared to come from third-party sellers at prices roughly $80 to $100 more. The turquoise and yellow Switch Lite models appeared more readily available.

Gamestop

The standard Switch model was sold out, while all three versions of the Lite were available to ship this month for delivery.

Best Buy

The electronics chain shows the standard Switch as available, shipping by Oct. 1. Interestingly, all models of Switch Lite were shown as sold out.

Since these listings seem to fluctuate, the best thing to do is regularly check retailers to see what's in stock. Nintendo's own website offers a list of retailers and can highlight when the console is available to purchase at a specific retailer.

Of course, you can try other marketplaces like eBay if you really want to secure a Switch. However, since it's more challenging to find in stores, you will likely pay more money.

(c)2020 U.S. Today
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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