Nintendo Co.’s pricier new Switch console sold less than half its predecessor managed during its opening weekend in Japan, suggesting supply constraints were hampering the company’s biggest product launch in years.
The hybrid handheld’s OLED edition, released globally on Friday and costing ¥37,980 ($350) in Japan, sold 138,409 units in the domestic market over its launch weekend, sales tracker Famitsu said Thursday. That compares with the original Switch’s inaugural weekend sales of 330,637 units in 2017 and the Switch Lite’s 177,936 units in 2019. It was a surprising result after a fast uptake of pre-orders ahead of the launch.
Nintendo shares fell as much as 1.5% in Tokyo on Friday, extending a decline of more than 20% this year, while rival console-makers such as Sony Group Corp. have gained.
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