Toys R Us Reports Another Nintendo Switch Quick-Hit Inventory Drop Incoming This Weekend

Ever the elusive game console, the incredibly hard-to-obtain Nintendo Switch is prone to making surprise appearances every now and then. That was the case two weeks ago when Toys R Us announced it would have a limited number of Switch units available on Saturday, March 25 when the doors opened at 9 AM. Well, if you overslept that day or otherwise missed out on your shot to snag a Switch, Toys R Us is giving you a mulligan—Toys R Us tells HotHardware that it will again have a limited inventory of Switch consoles available this weekend.

This time around Toys R Us will sell the hard-to-find consoles when doors open on Sunday, April 9, at precisely 10 AM local time. As you might expect, there will not be a ton of consoles to go around. If you're hoping to snag one, you'll want to get there early to secure your place in line. That is not just our advice, but also what Toys R Us suggests.

Here is a screen grab of the email we received:


We were actually able to grab one two weekends ago and will have a full review soon. This editor's local Toys R Us in Johnson City, Tennessee had exactly 10 systems available that day. Looking through the comments section of our previous article on the topic, that is the same number of Switch units that were available at the Toys R Us in Walker, Michigan.

Whatever the number of Switch consoles Toys R Us stocks at each store, it is not likely to be very many. Depending on where you live, you may need to show up an hour early or you might even have to camp out. But you'll have to use your own judgement on how early you should arrive.


It stinks that the Switch is not more readily available, though its scarcity is partially a testament to what is proving to be a winning design. Gamers seem enamored with the hybrid nature of the console, which can be docked and played in the living room on a big screen TV, or function as a portable gaming system with a built-in display.

No other console in Nintendo's history has seen more sales during the first two days of availability than the Switch, not even the mighty Wii, which previously held the record. With demand still outpacing supply, it was reported last month that Nintendo doubled its order of Switch consoles from 8 million to 16 million units for its fiscal year starting April 2017. Even so, GameStop expects the Switch will be tough to find throughout the rest of 2017.


Demand for the Switch is also being aided by interest in the new Zelda title, Breath of the Wild, which has received extremely high praise on the web. According to GameStop CEO Paul Raines, the attachment rate for Breath of Wild with new Switch purchases is near 1:1, meaning almost everyone who buys a Switch also picks up Zelda.

Looking ahead, Nintendo will attempt to keep the momentum going with more big releases, including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (due out on April 28) and Splatoon 2 (releases December 29).