Nintendo has announced the results of the first lottery for eligible individuals to purchase the Switch 2 console in Japan. With 2.2 million registered participants, Nintendo states that this number exceeds their initial estimates by a large margin. Surveys from various sources, including other interesting sales channels in Japan, reveal the following:
Yahoo Japan conducted a straightforward survey asking who had the right to purchase the Switch 2. Out of 13,869 respondents, 23.9% claimed eligibility. The remaining data suggests that approximately 500,000 Switch 2 units are intended for direct sale to customers in Japan.
R_GameTV reported additional survey results from approximately 60,000 registered participants. It was found that 69.7% chose to purchase the Switch 2 with the exclusive Japanese language lock zone featuring Mario Kart World. Only 2.9% opted for the non-lock zone version supporting multiple languages. When asked if they had the right to purchase through the lottery, only 24.4% confirmed eligibility.
Nintendo also distributes the Switch 2 through other electronics retail channels in Japan. Each store has different eligibility criteria, for example, Bic Camera uses a similar lottery system, but registered participants must be credit card customers with a specified purchase threshold. Meanwhile, Joshin exclusively offers the reservation rights to Platinum and VIP level members.
Analysts estimate that Nintendo will sell approximately 800,000 to 1 million units of the Switch 2 in the first Japanese lottery, but actual demand may be as high as 5 million units initially.
Source: Yahoo Japan, IGN, and Automation
TLDR: Nintendo’s first Switch 2 console lottery in Japan exceeded expectations with 2.2 million participants. Different sales channels and surveys reveal varying degrees of eligibility and interest in the new console. Analysts predict strong demand with potential sales reaching 5 million units.
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