Leading up to the June 5 release of the Nintendo Switch 2, the company has taken to social media platform X to reveal some stats about lottery applications for the system. In the post, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has revealed that around 2.2 million customers from Japan alone have applied for the console.
In the post, Furukawa states that these figures have exceeded the company’s expectations, and he apologises for the fact that many expecting to get the Switch 2 will be unable on launch day. For context, pre-orders for the console in Japan were being done through a lottery system, where those interested could sign-up for it through the My Nintendo Store to get a chance to get a launch-day Switch 2.
“On April 2, we announced the details of the Nintendo Switch 2 and began accepting applications for a lottery sale on the My Nintendo Store,” wrote Furukawa (translation via X). “As a result, we received applications from an astonishing 2.2 million people in Japan alone.
“However, this far exceeded our prior expectations and greatly surpasses the number of Nintendo Switch 2 units we can deliver from the My Nintendo Store on June 5. Consequently, it is with great regret that we anticipate a significant number of customers will not be selected in tomorrow’s lottery announcement on April 24.”
Those that signed up for the lottery system but won’t end up getting a Switch 2 due to stock restraints won’t have to worry about reapplying, however. Furukawa has said that the My Nintendo Store will automatically carry forward the lottery entries for those not selected for a launch-day Switch 2.
“To spare those who were not selected in the first lottery sale the trouble of reapplying, the My Nintendo Store will automatically carry over unselected applicants from the first lottery to the second lottery,” he wrote. “However, even with the number of units available in the second lottery sale, we will not be able to fulfill all the applications we have received. We deeply apologize for failing to meet your expectations despite our preparations.”
Moving forward, Nintendo is gearing up to open pre-orders for the Switch 2 through retailers and other online shops from April 24 onwards. Those interested can sign up to reserve a console for themselves. Some of the retailers might also end up using a lottery system to ensure that everyone has an even chance of getting their hands on the console. Furukawa has stated that Nintendo is also ramping up its production of the Switch 2 to meet demands going forward.
“Furthermore, we are planning to produce and ship a substantial number of Nintendo Switch 2 units moving forward,” he wrote. “We sincerely apologize for the time it will take to fully meet your expectations and kindly ask for your understanding.”
The Switch 2’s release date was announced during a dedicated Direct for the console earlier this month. The console will ship alongside Mario Kart World as its launch title.
