Anyone who wants to buy a Nintendo Switch is currently looking either at empty shopping baskets or at horrific prices. According to a report by lifestyle magazine Vice, purchase bots automatically run programs that are currently scouring stores' inventories and automatically buy consoles as soon as they are available. That could currently contribute to a shortage of the Nintendo Switch.

The Popularity of the Nintendo Switch, coupled with the current low inventory levels lead to rising prices - exactly that is what retailers could use for themselves. According to a report in Vice magazine* some retailers could at least support the scarcity of the Nintendo Switch through the use of purchase bots.

Selling out the Nintendo Switch artificially created?

The drastically increased prices of the Nintendo Switch could at least partially have been generated artificially or be maintained. Instead of being satisfied with the regular sales prices, some dealers are seizing the opportunity and taking action. According to the tech experts at Motherboard, this succeeds with automatic program routines in order to discover cheap retail prices of the switch and then strike.

These purchase bots apparently not only compare prices, but also automatically fill the shopping carts and even complete the purchase in record time, so that "normal customers" have no chance of getting a Nintendo Switch at the normal price.

Only the original version of the Nintendo Switch, i.e. the one with a docking station, is affected by the shortage. Photo: André Volkmann

Only the original version of the Nintendo Switch, i.e. the one with a dock, is affected by the shortage. Photo: Volkmann

The reason then lies in a lucrative return. While the Nintendo Switch usually costs around 300 to 330 euros, retailers are currently charging almost twice as much due to the tight stocks.

In order for this automated system to work, some technical tricks are necessary. Shops usually filter out bot purchases. According to the Vice post, such automatic programs are currently so popular that the creators behind the bot even set up a Discord server to help users set it up. According to the makers, the bot is intended for both dealers and normal buyers who want to get hold of a Nintendo Switch.

[atkp_product id = '9592 ′ template =' secondwide '] [/ atkp_product]

The scarcity of the Nintendo Switch is not a problem only in the United States. British dealers, for example, are also reporting low switch stocks. In this country, interested parties get to feel the situation directly: even large online shops such as Amazon or Otto have no consoles in stock and are waiting for replenishment, it doesn't look much better on Ebay, there too the Nintendo Switch is sold at much higher prices over the virtual counter - The special editions, such as the new one, are particularly popular Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

In the short term, the availability situation does not seem to ease. If you want to buy a Nintendo Switch, you currently have to spend a lot of money or use the lite version - this is still available in stores at normal prices.

Other consoles, such as the Playstation 4 or Xbox One, are not affected by the shortage - despite some sales promotions. An indication of how great the popularity of the Nintendo Switch compared to the competition at a hunt.

  • We search for news writers in the fields of gaming, books as well as films and series.
    Do you want to participate? then > here < click and apply.