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Nintendo can’t make Switch consoles fast enough

Nintendo can’t make Switch consoles fast enough

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Two million units sold over the past three months, but it could have been more

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Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

Nintendo just announced the latest sales figures for the Switch in its Q1 earnings, and the 2 million units sold are both impressive for the company and a measure of how successful the Switch has become. It’s even more significant given that the company is still rebounding from the commercial and critical failure of the Wii U, which only sold about 13.5 million units over its entire lifespan.

If only Nintendo could manage to keep the Switch in stock

The biggest takeaway from the Switch’s Q1 performance: the number could have been even higher, if only Nintendo could manage to keep the Switch in stock. Months after the Switch’s release in March, it’s still virtually impossible to actually walk into a store and buy one.

And while sales are certainly doing well, it doesn’t seem that Nintendo is planning to change its current manufacturing and stocking process, as the company is still keeping its sales forecast for the year at 13 million consoles (the same as it was earlier this year), despite the apparent demand.

Along with Switch sales, Nintendo also announced overall numbers for its Q1 earnings. The company reported revenue of 154 billion yen ($1.37 billion) and an operating profit of 16.2 billion yen ($144.8 million), both improvements over last year’s first quarter, where the company reported an operating loss of 5.1 billion yen as it transitioned from the Wii U to the Switch.