Reports indicate changes in the supply status of the Nintendo Switch 2 The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition in the Japanese market. The console has shifted from being difficult to pre-order to being readily available for purchase, reportedly causing high-priced resales to cool down. This console was officially released on October 29 with a price of 62,980 yen (including tax). After pre-orders opened late on September 8, it quickly sold out on Nintendo's official store and various retail channels.
Social media posts published on November 2 used phrases such as "high-priced resales repeatedly failing" and "shifting from difficult pre-orders to normal purchases." These reports also described some hoarders as ordinary customers who ended up buying large quantities of the console. Japanese media outlet AUTOMATON corroborated this trend: on Mercari, many listings for the console remained unsold, and those that did sell were mostly only about 1,000 yen above the retail price. Several days after launch, some online stores were still selling via backorder, and players on social media reported that electronics retailers and other physical stores still had stock.
However, this information is not an official supply announcement from Nintendo, nor does it provide specific details on retailers, stock quantities, official prices, or resale listing and transaction data. Therefore, the claim that "high-priced resales are cooling off" remains a judgment based on the purchasing situation at the time; it cannot be taken as evidence that all channels are now well-stocked or that resellers are generally suffering losses. Some analysts point out that Nintendo's supply to retail channels appears to have been relatively ample this time, and combined with the official store selling out after imposing a limit of one unit per person, the overall supply rhythm differs from previous limited-edition models.
The current changes only reflect the supply situation in the Japanese market at that time. Whether consumers can purchase this anniversary edition directly still depends on their region and specific sales channels. Previously, Bill van Zyll, Nintendo of America's Vice President, admitted that the company had "underestimated" demand for this console, apologizing for the global shortage and stating that restocking was being arranged. It remains unclear whether the easing of supply in the Japanese market indicates a simultaneous alleviation of the global shortage, as there is a lack of comparative data from other regions.