Nintendo Switch pre-orders already account for 80% of the console’s shipment in Japan

Data firm Media Create has revealed pre-order figures for the Nintendo Switch in Japan, so players who haven’t secured Nintendo’s new console yet should do it quickly if they want to enjoy it at launch.

The sales-tracking company reports that over 80 per cent of the country’s initial shipment has already been pre-ordered in Japan. Nintendo previously announced that it was planning on shipping two millions units on the console’s first month worldwide, but has yet to reveal how many units are meant to go to each of its launch territories.

DualShokers reported last week that the Switch is already sold out at all major retailers in Japan. It’s the same in the UK and the US, with Amazon and GameStop running out of units only a day after Nintendo’s big reveal on January 13th.

The Nintendo Switch launches worldwide on March 3rd. The console’s weak launch line-up has raised some concerns, though Nintendo’s US boss Reggie Fils-Aim has addressed the issue, saying that launch day is not the be-all and the end-all.”

To read more on the Switch, don’t forget to read MCV’s feedback on the console after the machine’s premiere in the UK, and the industry’s reaction from the launch. Everything you need to know about the Switch is also in the latest issue of MCV.