Resale prices for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 are skyrocketing on Japanese e-commerce platforms, with listings reaching over 100,000 yen (approx. AU$1,050), more than double the device’s 49,980 yen (approx. AU$537.10) retail price.
The handheld console is set to launch officially on June 5, but scalpers have flooded online marketplaces such as Rakuten Ichiba, Amazon Japan, and Yahoo!
Auctions with pre-order listings, despite not yet having the product in stock.
Some listings claim “100% guaranteed purchase” or promise shipment as early as June 4.
In response, LY Corp., which operates Yahoo! Auctions and Yahoo! Flea Market, stated that posting unreleased products violates platform rules and warned of possible account suspensions.
While many listings have been removed, new ones continue to appear.
Amazon and Rakuten have also flagged potential action against sellers pricing products far above MSRP.
As of Friday, at least 50 resale listings for the Switch 2 remain, many positioned as “pre-orders” or “almost new.”
The Switch 2 has already attracted 2.2 million lottery entries in Japan, far exceeding Nintendo’s expectations.
President Shuntaro Furukawa apologised for the high demand, acknowledging that many customers will miss out on the initial batch.
To combat scalping, Nintendo and major retailers have introduced lottery-based sales with eligibility restrictions, such as requiring 50+ hours of playtime on an existing console or a year-long subscription to a paid Nintendo service.
Major chains have also enforced app sign-ups and purchase history checks to qualify for entry.
The Switch 2 joins a long list of popular gaming consoles, such as the original Switch and PlayStation 5, that have faced rampant scalping, with some estimates suggesting up to 30% of original Switch consoles were resold at peak demand.
While reselling electronics is not illegal in Japan, unlike certain restricted goods like concert tickets or face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ethical concerns around console scalping remain a point of public debate.
