Nintendo has already shipped ‘some’ Switch 2 inventory to the US

Nintendo has already shipped a supply of Switch 2 units to the US, months before the system goes on sale. That’s according to Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser, who said on CNBC Monday that Nintendo had time to build up an inventory of the next-gen portable gaming system “on a global basis,” and that many have already landed, including “some” in the United States.

“We really do hope we can meet that demand,” said Bowser. When asked if Nintendo can meet that demand, Bowser replied, “That remains to be seen. That certainly is our goal.” The original Switch remained hard to find for quite a while after it launched in the spring of 2017, selling more consoles by April 2018 (17.79 million) than its predecessor, the Wii U, sold in five years (13.56 million).

Bowser told The Verge that Nintendo is “actively assessing” the impact of the latest tariffs, but that was before Nintendo decided to delay Switch 2 preorders in the US and Canada from the original April 9th date. Nintendo says it’s still on track to launch the console on June 5th. On Tuesday, analyst DFC Intelligence cut its Switch 2 forecast for the year from 17 million units to 15 million, Bloomberg reports. That prediction would still make it the fastest-selling console ever, despite tariffs and the budget-stretching price of $449.99.

The new tariffs announced after the Switch 2 event could be hard on Nintendo since the company is building Switch 2 in Vietnam, which is in line for a 46 percent tariff.