Nintendo and Amazon deny reports of sales dispute over the Nintendo Switch 2
Following recent reports that Nintendo pulled the Switch 2 and first-party titles from the Amazon US Storefront due to a falling out with the company over third-party resellers, both companies have formally denied these reports.
The story first surfaced when a Bloomberg report claimed that Nintendo was concerned about the leeway independent resellers were given on the e-commerce giant’s platform. In particular, the focus was on resellers who sourced Nintendo products from Southeast Asia in bulk and undercut the official US retail price on e-commerce platforms.
In light of these claims, both Amazon and Nintendo have strongly pushed back against the allegations. In an email to Bloomberg, Nintendo clarified: “There is no such fact. We do not disclose details of negotiations or contracts with retailers.”
Amazon issued an independent statement following Nintendo: “The claims made by Bloomberg regarding our relationship with Nintendo are inaccurate.” Yet, the company did not specify which aspect of the report was inaccurate.
Despite pushback on the allegations, the Nintendo Switch 2 remains largely absent from Amazon US. While the console is still available on Amazon UK, Canada, Japan, and retailers like GameStop, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target, Amazon US has yet to officially list the Nintendo Switch 2, first-party titles, and accessories. The only exception thus far is “Donkey Kong Bananza”, which is available for pre-order on Amazon.
The absence of the Nintendo Switch 2 on Amazon US is suggestive of a rift between the two companies, given that both Sony’s PlayStation 5 lineup and the Xbox Series S|X consoles are readily available on the US storefront.
Despite this, the Nintendo Switch 2 has sold a record-breaking 3.5 million units within the first week of launch, with 1 million sold in Japan alone.
The situation remains unclear on whether this is a temporary issue or if it's a sign of something more significant, leaving customers and the gaming community in a state of confusion, relying on physical storefronts to purchase the handheld console.
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