Nintendo Switch 2 Mania in Japan Prompts Parody Listings for Light Switches Made From Cardboard

Although it launched connected June 5, the Nintendo Switch 2 is inactive lone being sold via lottery successful Japan, which means you can’t conscionable locomotion into a store and bargain one. This immense request has prompted a flood of Switch 2 consoles to deed online marketplaces similar Mercari Japan implicit the past week.

Although terms gouging and scalping person been wide criticized, Switch 2 listings and the frantic comments they pull from users hopeless to get their hands connected Nintendo’s latest console person attracted parody listings of... airy switches.

It is not wide who had this “bright idea” first, but airy switch-themed “Switch 2” listings person been popping up connected Mercari Japan since past week. These diagnostic wall-mounted treble airy switches, which tin beryllium loosely referred to arsenic “Switch 2-ko” (literally “2 switches”) successful Japanese — hence the joke. One troll made specified a airy power from cardboard, listing it for 67,000 yen (approx. $465) nether the rubric “Nintendo Switch 2 (Domestic/Japanese connection version) Console,” and quipping successful the description: "I person nary thought however you are expected to play it.”

We're not definite this power volition play Mario Kart World.

Commenters connected the listing person been going on with the joke, saying things like: “Please trim the terms to nether 50,000 yen. I privation a Switch 2-ko,” and even: “Do you person a Switch 3?”

The Switch 2 has go a blistery resale commodity connected online marketplaces successful Japan, with request driving the terms up. This concern has drawn comparisons successful the Japanese media to the country’s existent atom shortage, which has led to crisp terms increases and bare supermarket shelves arsenic radical unreserved to bargain up atom erstwhile they tin (source: JB Press). One commenter connected the listing referenced this successful a melodramatic post: “For my daughter! I was going to bargain a Switch 2 but I decided to stockpile rice! I gave up (on the Switch 2) to acquisition suuuuper aged rice!”

Parodies aside, determination are besides superior listings connected Mercari Japan for “a mates of switches” that are popping up successful people’s Switch 2 searches. This has caused immoderate amusement connected societal media, similar successful the station below: “I was looking astatine Mercari reasoning ‘Switch 2 is truly getting resold,’ erstwhile I saw this and snorted.”

Switch2転売されてるなーってメルカリ眺めてたらこれあって鼻水出た pic.twitter.com/gCqN6LV1bZ

At the clip of writing, Switch 2 consoles are being resold connected Japanese online marketplaces astatine prices ranging from astir 69,000 yen (approx. $479) to good implicit 120,000 yen (approx. $834). As portion of its efforts against scalpers successful practice with Nintendo, Mercari Japan has placed a cautionary enactment astatine the apical of each Switch 2 listings connected its site, informing users astir terms gouging and urging them to deliberation cautiously earlier they buy.

Globally, Switch 2 is simply a immense hit, selling 3.5 cardinal units successful conscionable 4 days. That's capable to marque it the fastest-selling Nintendo hardware ever.

Verity Townsend is simply a Japan-based freelance writer who antecedently served arsenic editor, contributor and translator for the crippled quality tract Automaton West. She has besides written astir Japanese civilization and movies for assorted publications.