Nintendo Switch 2 launch, after an 8 year wait, draws big lines
The new consoles were sold through a competitive lottery system that Nintendo said got about 2.2 million applications in Japan alone.
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Tokyo, 5 June
Eager customers lined
up outside electronics stores hours in advance in Tokyo on Thursday to collect
their pre-ordered Nintendo Switch 2 video game consoles.
The much anticipated
Switch 2 is an upgrade to its eight-year-old predecessor with new social
features meant to draw players into online gaming. The new consoles were sold
through a competitive lottery system that Nintendo said got about 2.2 million
applications in Japan alone.
Outside the official
draw, some retailers offered their own lotteries to pre-order the devices.
Koji Takahashi was
among those who missed out on the official draw but he was selected in the
second round of a lottery held by a major electronics retailer in Japan.
He was first in line
waiting outside the store, arriving four hours ahead of its opening. He hoped
to secure a limited supply of Nintendo accessories to buy along with his
pre-ordered Switch 2.
"I feel very
sorry for those who weren't successful in the lottery. But I also had tough
time getting this far, so I hope they forgive me!" Takahashi said.
The new console comes
with a larger and higher resolution screen than its predecessor, with improved
processing power, offering smoother and more vivid graphics.
Nintendo has said it
expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles for the fiscal year through March
2026.
The company has
promised to roll out attractive software for the Switch 2 later this year,
including 'The Legend of Zelda' games, a Pokemon title and a Kirby game, as
well as offerings from outside software companies.
Nintendo is
capitalising on the launch with the opening of a store in San Francisco and the
Super Nintendo World amusement facility in Orlando, Florida, both set for this
month.
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