2.2 million people applied to pre-order a Switch 2 in Japan alone, says Nintendo

Nintendo has warned that it may struggle to meet demand for Nintendo Switch 2 consoles in Japan.

In a lengthy statement posted to X/Twitter, president Shuntaro Furukawa explained that 2.2 million people in Japan alone had applied to enter the lottery to be in with a chance of purchasing the highly anticipated new console system. As this “greatly surpasses” the number of Switch units available to potential Japanese players, Nintendo said it anticipates that a “significant” number of customers will be left disappointed due to the overwhelming demand.

Consequently, any applicants not selected for tomorrow’s lottery sale will be automatically carried over to a second lottery, with further lotteries and reservation systems rolling out “gradually” to third-party retailers.

The statement closed on promising Japanese customers that the company was planning to produce and ship a “substantial” number of Switch 2 units moving forward.

Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders were delayed in the US due to the evolving situation of US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs on imported goods. The console’s launch date of June 5 has not changed.

Find out why GamesIndustry.biz’s contributing editor Rob Fahey thinks tariffs are an industry nightmare, but digital games seem safe – for now.